


Crossing Realities

by Deiradella



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Developing Friendships, Dimension Travel, F/M, Familial Relationships, Multi, Multiverse Theory, hurt/loss/comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:24:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 107,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deiradella/pseuds/Deiradella
Summary: Natsu motioned toward the odd circle just as something came flying out of it with a shriek. What or whoever it was slammed into the opposite wall with a meaty thump before dropping onto the cobblestones...  What will it mean for the mages of Fairy Tail when an ordinary woman from our world is thrown into Earthland? How did she get there, and will she ever find her way home?





	1. Rough Landing

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This story assumes the celestial realm and Earthland reality's time frames match. From what I can tell, that's how the series was written until the episode where the main group was training for the Grand Magic Games. The way the time differential was written just smacks of retconning and lazy writing for the sake of giving a reason to bring Jelall and his bunch in last second. Plus, it just doesn't make sense given the relationship between celestial spirits and the celestial wizards in Earthland. I mean, what's the point of Lucy asking when the spirits are available or not, as she's shown doing with Plue, if she has no way of knowing when those dates match up?
> 
> That's not to say all realities will match up. Different time flows are a part of the multiverse theory, so it works. Anyway, I hate retconning on principle, so I'll be sticking with the original cannon.
> 
> The story begins two years before Natsu meets Lucy.
> 
> *** In case it isn't obvious, I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape, or form. I'm just playing with the characters to have a bit of fun and practice writing skills. ***

Natsu stumbled off the train. It'd stopped a couple minutes ago, but he still felt unsteady on his feet. He swallowed back the bile trying to rise as the ground seemed to tilt and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

"Come on, Natsu," Happy said as he floated a couple feet away. "I'm hungry."

"Don't talk about food," Natsu groaned.

He held onto the straps of his backpack like they'd help steady him. Why did he think taking the train would be a good idea again? The way they moved was bad enough, but having to walk through the station just made things worse. All those people moving around made his head spin. A wiff of obnoxious perfumes and stale sweat from too many bodies in an inclosed space hit him, and it brought on another wave of nausea.

Natsu clamped his jaw and kept trudging forward. The exit wasn't far away now. Once he got out into the open air, he'd feel better. No stupid motion sickness was going to get the best of him!

"That's easy for you to say," Happy chided. "You got to eat."

"Just flames," Natsu said. He pushed the station doors open and stepped outside. Once the door swung back shut, he took a deep breath as a breeze ruffled his hair. The fresh air felt great and did a lot to ease the sick feeling that lingered after a long ride.

Happy flew ahead a few feet, eager to get to the guild and the fish Mira always kept in stock for him. Natsu grinned and picked up the pace. As the nausea faded, he was starting to feel hungry too. Food sounded good again.

The pair wove their way through the streets of Magnolia. After five years in the city, they felt almost as familiar as the woodland where Igneel raised him. He knew the sights, sounds, and smells almost as well as he did those around his house. So when he caught a wiff of a foreign scent a few blocks from the guildhall, it peaked his interest.

Natsu stopped walking and started sniffing. He followed the weird smell to an alley off the main road. A magic circle glowed against one wall.

"What's the matter, Natsu?" Happy asked as he walked back to the alleyway.

Natsu motioned toward the odd circle just as something came flying out of it with a shriek. What or whoever it was slammed into the opposite wall with a meaty thump before dropping onto the cobblestones.

"Woah!" Happy exclaimed. "What was that?"

The two trotted over to the crumpled figure. It turned out to be a woman, heavy set and a lot older than them. Her arms were red and scraped, and her pants were worn where she'd hit the brick wall. She wore a pair of glasses that'd seen better days, and there was a nasty gash over her left eye.

"Hey lady, you okay?" Natsu asked. She didn't move or answer, causing Natsu to frown. He could hear her breathing, so he knew she wasn't dead. She seemed to be out cold, but wizards could take way worse hits than that. If she came through a magic circle, she had to be a mage, right?

Natsu knelt to try and shake the woman awake when her back arched up, and she started convulsing.

"Oh crap!" he yelped. "Go get help, Happy!"

"Aye sir!"

The back of the woman's head rapped against the cobblestones hard. The sound of bone hitting rock sent a chill down Natsu's spine as he hurried to drop the pack on his back. He didn't want to try and move her when she was having some kind of fit like this for fear of hurting her worse, but he knew he needed to protect her head somehow. His pack would have to work.

Natsu lifted her shoulders as best as he could and shoved his pack under where her head had been before lowering her back down. With as hard as her body kept pulling the rest of her in toward her navel, Natsu figured it was only a matter of time before she lost her lunch. He didn't want her to choke if she did, so he rolled her over on her side. It wasn't easy with her convulsing. She was surprisingly strong for an old woman!

Her lips and face started taking on a blue tinge, ratcheting up Natsu's panic just a bit more as he realized he couldn't hear her breathing anymore. He froze, not knowing what to do.

Then the convulsions stopped as fast as they'd started. The woman's muscles were still tense, but they began to relax. She started breathing again, taking in big, deep gulps of air.

Natsu sagged in relief. He thought about scooping her up and just carrying her to the guild's infirmary, but he was worried she'd have another fit. He'd caught the odd elbow or knee while trying to hold her on her side in case she got sick. He didn't know if it was just the fit or not, but the woman could pack a wallop! If she had another one halfway there, he didn't want to drop her or get beaten up by some old lady who wasn't even awake. He'd never live it down!

A jolt hit Natsu's knee, making him jump. It felt like when you shuffle your feet over a carpet and touch something metal, but he hadn't done anything like that. He looked down to see tiny sparks snapping over the woman's clothing and body. The miniature storm fizzled out in seconds, leaving Natsu even more confused than he was before.

"They're over this way."

Natsu could hear Happy directing someone over to help from a street or two away as the lady's breathing started to return to normal. Her color was better, and she hadn't started barfing. Those all seemed like good signs, but she wasn't waking up.

Master Makarov entered the alley behind Happy. Erza and Elfman followed behind, carrying a stretcher. Natsu stood and backed out of their way as they loaded the woman onto it. He picked his pack back up, and he noticed a small, black bag as he did so. He slung his pack onto his shoulders, and then he scooped up the bag, stuffing a few items that appeared to have fallen out back into it.

Natsu spent the trek back to the guild answering Makarov's questions as well as he could.

"You did well, my boy," Makarov praised. "I sent Macao to fetch Porlyusica, and from what you've told told me, it seems I made the right decision."

The woman had another fit of convulsions followed by a shower of sparks that burned out in several seconds on the way. It happened again two more times before Porlyusica arrived, and again a few minutes after she got there. The fits Porlyusica called a seizure all seemed about the same, but the sparks kept getting a bit bigger and lasted a few seconds longer each time.

As soon as the latest one sputtered out, Porlyusica kicked everyone out of the room. Natsu glanced at the unconscious woman as he left. She was gulping in air again like he inhaled flames still a bit blue tinged from her last seizure as the healer started digging through her bag for medicine.

Natsu went back out into the pub. Happy had ordered their usual dinners, and the food was waiting on him at one of the tables. His friend waved him over, not bothering to put his fish down in the process. Natsu trudged over to the table and sat down. He tucked into his food without his typical zeal as he puzzled over the oddity of what happened that afternoon. However, hunger soon overrode his confusion, and he woofed down his dinner.

Porlyusica made her way downstairs right about the time Natsu pushed his plate back. He stayed where he was but focused on listening to the hushed conversation she had with Gramps.

"How is she?"

"Stable, for now," Porlyusica answered. She handed Gramps several small vials. "There's not much more I can do for her until these spells work themselves out, so I'm leaving you with the potions you'll need to keep her from seizing. Administer a dose every three hours until she's gone five hours without doing a sparkler impression. Then you send for me again."

"What's happening to her?" Makarov asked.

"That, I'm not sure," Porlyusica said. She sounded annoyed and worried at the same time, and it made Natsu's stomach feel like it was full of rocks. "She's showing signs of magic deficiency syndrome, but then her magic spikes and sets off sparks. It's almost like her inner well never developed."

"How's such a thing possible?"

"It's not!" Porlyusica sighed, "At least not in this world. A babe born without an inner well would die without its mother's sustaining it."

Makarov paled. "An alternate?"

"That's what I suspect, given the symptoms." Porlyusica looked toward the infirmary with a frown. "I can't be certain until I talk to the girl."

"So she'll live?"

"Would I be leaving if my patient was on death's door?" Porlyusica snapped. "Really, of all the things to say!"

Gramps chuckled, and Porlyusica crossed her arms and glared at him.

"One dose every three hours until she doesn't spark in five," she repeated. "I'll return before you run out, so don't send any of your brats to my house unless she's improved." She harrumphed and hurried out of the hall leaving an amused Makarov behind.

Natsu sighed. The woman they'd seen thrown into a brick wall was sick, but she wouldn't die. Relief burned away the last of the adrenaline he'd been coasting on, and Natsu felt wiped out.

"Come on, Happy. Let's go home."


	2. The Next Morning

Natsu and Happy returned to the guild as usual the next morning. Their last job had taken long enough that what food they had left back home smelled off, so they made their way over to the bar to order breakfast.

"Morning, Natsu. Happy," Mira greeted the two. She fought to stifle a yawn. "What can I get you?

"Fish!" Happy cheered as he perched on one of the stools.

"Three eggs scrambled with cheese and peppers," Natsu said.

"He watched her nod and hurry back to get their orders. It wasn't like her to look so tired. Mira was almost as much of a morning person as he was, and the fact she was dragging this morning worried him. His mind flashed back to the months after Lisanna died, and his throat tightened.

"Mira came back into the main room carrying a plate with a couple fish on it and set it in front of Happy. "Your order will be done in just a minute, Natsu," she said.

"Thanks." He grinned. She turned to walk away, but Natsu called her name. "You okay?" Mira tilted her head. "Just you don't seem like your usual chipper self this morning."

"Oh, I got to bed late is all," Mira answered. "I took first watch over the woman you found yesterday, and I already had the morning shift."

"How's she doing?"

Mira shrugged. "About the same. The sparking fits are getting farther apart, but they're lasting longer and getting more powerful." She giggled. "Master finally decided to set a circle around the bed to direct them into a lacrima when the sheets started getting singed."

"Natsu laughed. "Doing this much damage in her sleep…" He shook his head. "We sure she's not already a member?"

"You're horrible," Mira scolded, but the effect was lost when she giggled on her way back to the kitchen.

"The morning went on like normal. Happy cleaned his whiskers and curled up under the bar for a nap once he finished eating. Natsu ate his breakfast and then picked a fight with Gray. Max and Elfman had just jumped in and made things interesting when the guild doors opened to admit Porlyusica.

The aura around her felt enough like an angry Erza that the brawl ground to a halt. Porlyusica glared at them.

"Humans," she grumbled and made her way to the stairs.

Natsu followed behind, making sure to stay quiet and far enough back that he wouldn't irritate the reclusive healer. He could hear zapping as he got closer to the infirmary. He got close enough to peek inside the door without going in.

The woman still lay still on the bed, but she wasn't blue around the edges. He hoped that meant she hadn't had another one of the seizures even though she was emitting jagged blue bolts of electricity. They arched from her body to a lacrima positioned at her bedside. They weren't as bright as Laxus' lightning, but they snapped with enough punch that Natsu knew getting hit by one would sting.

"How far apart are the surges?" Porlyusica asked Makarov, who was sitting in a chair across the room.

"Four hours," he answered. Painful looking bags hung under his eyes, and he yawned.

Porlyusica hummed and started casting diagnostic spells over the woman after the fit subsided. Makarov watched in silence. Outside in the hall, Natsu did the same. Magic circles formed over the patient. He tried to read them, but they didn't make any sense to him.

"You're going to have another brat to deal with," Porlyusica said.

"She's?"

"Going to be an unstable mage until she can be taught control," Porlyusica answered. "Whatever it is that's driving the change adapting her to our world has apparently decided a standard magic reserve won't do."

"Is that why the fits are still going on?"

"It would seem," Porlyusica agreed. She turned to regard Makarov and frowned. "You look terrible. Go get some sleep."

Makarov nodded and slid out of the chair. Natsu backed away into the shadows at the end of the hall but still close enough to hear.

"We found identification in her bag," Makarov said. "According to this, her name is Cynthia Williams." Porlyusica responded with a huff, and Natsu could hear Gramps' footsteps heading toward the door. "I'll send someone up with another empty lacrima," he said. "That one's getting full."

A moment later, Gramps walked out into the hallway and shut the infirmary door. He took a couple of steps and stopped. The old man sighed. "Come on, Natsu," he said. "You can bring another lacrima to keep her from scorching the infirmary."

Natsu stood up and followed behind the smaller man. "Sure thing, Gramps."

The two walked to Makarov's office in silence. Natsu stood by the door while the guild master entered and rummaged around in the bottom drawer of his large desk. A moment later, Makarov shut the drawer and stepped back into the center of the room holding an empty lacrima.

"Why are you so concerned about Miss Williams?" Makarov asked.

Natsu's eyes went wide with surprise, and he scratched the back of his neck. He felt his cheeks warm with a blush as he realized he didn't really know or understand why he was compelled to look after the older woman. It's not like he knew her. She'd been conscious for less than a second after exiting the portal. He didn't remember having ever met her before. True, he'd been the one to find her, and that kind of made him responsible for her when she was unable to take care of herself. But it didn't explain why something at the back of his mind kept nagging at him.

"Well, my boy?" Makarov prodded.

Natsu took a deep breath. His nostrils filled with the familiar scents of the guildhall and his friends. A trace of the new woman's scent found him too. He'd been too focused on helping her before to notice, but there was something odd about her scent. It was something he didn't remember smelling before yet familiar all the same, and his heart skipped a beat when his instincts filled in the blanks.

"She smells like family," Natsu murmured. He wobbled on his feet as the realization he might have living relatives made him dizzy, and he leaned against the doorframe for support.

Way back when he was still a tot asking about his mama, Igneel had frowned as he explained he'd been unable to find whom Natsu belonged to. He'd gone on to tell Natsu that if he should ever met others of his bloodline, he'd know. Natsu hadn't understood then, but he did now. The information carried in the scents of those around him was more than his conscious mind could process, but his subconscious understood them just fine. He couldn't pinpoint the how or why, but Natsu understood with every fiber of his being that the woman who had fallen out of a magic circle yesterday was his blood kin!

"You recognize her?" Makarov asked.

Natsu shook his head. "Never met her before," he said. "Well, at least not that I remember."

Gramps' head tilted as he considered the teen standing before him. One corner of his mouth tipped up in a tired grin before he let out a jaw cracking yawn. He moved forward and handed the lacrima to Natsu.

"Maybe she'll recognize you when she wakes," he said. "Now take that up to Porlyusica before your auntie wrecks the place."Natsu blinked, taken aback at hearing anyone refer to someone else as a relation of his other than his missing father. His heart leapt, and he grinned. He nodded to Gramps before dashing off toward the infirmary.


	3. The Sleeper Awakes

Porlyusica accepted the empty lacrima without so much as a word and set about exchanging it for the full one. Natsu sat down on the same chair Gramps had used earlier and pulled his legs up, crossing them at the ankles along the edge. Leaning forward, he watched the old healer work.

Once she'd finished, Porlyusica turned and scowled at Natsu. "Your presence is no longer needed here," she said. "Go make mischief somewhere else."

Natsu shook his head before nodding to the woman still sleeping across the way. "It's my turn to keep an eye on her."

"Is this woman a prisoner?" Porlyusica's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline.

"No!" Natsu yelped. He shifted in his seat before sitting up straight and puffing out his chest. "She's family, and family looks after one another."

The old woman's expression went from surprised and alarmed to pitying. Natsu might not be the quickest to catch on when someone's mood shifts, but he'd seen that expression more than enough when he'd first joined the guild. Seeing it again set a fire deep in the pit of his stomach to smoldering.

"Whatever you may think, child," Porlyusica said, "she is not your kin." Her tone was softer than he'd ever heard from the woman. It was sad and as kind as she'd ever tried to be. "Her illness is proof she is not from our world. At best, she is the alternate of your family member."

"So?" The fire smoldering in his gut since the beginning of this conversation sparked, and a low growl rumbled in his chest. "Family's family, no matter where they come from."

"She might not see it that way."

"Well I do!" Natsu crossed his arms and more or less rooted himself to the spot. "She's my family, and I'm going to look after her while she's sick. What she wants to do once she's better is her business."

Porlyusica's lips pursed as she considered his words. "Who is she to you?"

Natsu shrugged. "Don't know," he admitted. "But she smells like family, and my nose is never wrong."

"You're a dragon slayer."

Natsu nodded.

The healer's expression turned thoughtful. She strode forward. Natsu hunkered down in his chair a bit, half expecting the old woman to try and throw him out of the room by force. Porlyusica walked up to him, reached out a birdlike hand, and yanked a pink hair right out of his scalp.

He started and looked up at the already retreating woman with confusion. As he watched, the healer paced back over to Cynthia's sickbed and plucked a long, dark strand from her head as well. Before he could protest, she turned away again and reached into her healer's bag. Pulling out a glass vial, Porlyusica dropped the two strands of hair, so dissimilar to one another, into it.

The healer held the vial in both of her hands and spoke an incantation he'd never heard before. A purple magic circle sprang to life above the vial, glowing and glimmering in the dim room. Porlyusica's eyes widened as she read the runes displayed. The circle waned and faded, and the healer set the vial on the bedside table next to her bag.

A groan from the bed drew Porlyusica and Natsu's attention away from the results of the spell the healer just cast. They both looked over to see a shaking hand lift from the covers and scrub over the woman's eyes. Her face was scrunched up in a pained wince.

Natsu jumped up and scampered over to the foot of her bed. He didn't want to get in Porlyusica's way in case she needed to do something to help, but he wanted to meet this new relative of his.

She blinked open dark eyes and looked around in confusion. "Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary of the Fairy Tail guild," Porlyusica answered.

The woman turned her head to look up at Porlyusica. Her brow scrunched as she looked over the woman's clothes. "While I commend your cosplay skills, I never joined any kind of LARPing group," she said. "Where am I really?"

"Just where I said, Miss Williams," Porlyusica snapped back. "I suppose you don't have a Fairy Tail in your world."

"What do children's stories have to do with where I am?" Williams asked. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing again as she did so. She paled and swayed a bit before planting her hands to either side of her legs and leaning on them to steady herself. "And it's Misses Williams."

Porlyusica sighed. "Not the stories, the wizard's guild."

Still pale and unsteady, Williams turned her head to regard Porlyusica again. "There are a few Wiccans in the area, but I've never heard of them forming a guild, no." She swallowed hard and eased her weight back off her arms. "And what do you mean in my world?"

"This may be difficult to believe, Mrs. Williams, but the universe is comprised of many different realities," Porlyusica explained. "Yesterday afternoon, you fell through a gateway between your reality and this one."

"So, multiverse theory?" the woman on the bed asked.

Natsu didn't understand much of what the women said after that. It went too far into the theory behind magic for him to wrap his head around. His stomach growled, and it dawned on him that his new auntie, or whatever she was to him, hadn't had anything to eat or drink in at least a day. She had to be starving!

He excused himself. Porlyusica just waved him away without so much as looking in his direction, and the other woman didn't seem to hear him. Natsu hurried down to the bar and ordered a couple of trays to take back up to the infirmary. Of course, that meant Mira wheedled him until he spilled everything he knew about their guest and what was going on in the infirmary. But soon enough, he had a tray of stew, a bit of bread, some juice, and water in hand as well as a promise from Mira that she'd bring his food up once it was done.

"This is a coma dream," Williams was mumbling to herself as he returned to the room. "I was in a bad wreck, and now I'm in a coma."

Porlyusica was nowhere to be seen, so Natsu guessed she'd left to tell Gramps their guest was awake. Shrugging, he walked over to the last bed in the back of the infirmary. He held the tray out to the woman, who looked up at him with a blank expression.

"I brought you something to eat," he said. "Figured you had to be hungry, not eating since yesterday and all."

"Thanks," she answered and accepted the tray.

Natsu sat at the end of the bed and watched her gulp down half the glass of water before trying the stew. She shifted from side to side, rocking so slightly he might not have noticed if it weren't for his keen eyes and the amount of attention he was paying. Her face flushed.

"What?" she snapped.

"Huh?" was his ever so eloquent reply.

"Why are you staring at me trying to eat?" she asked. "It's creeping me out."

"Sorry," Natsu said and looked down at the sterile, white sheets he sat on.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just really hate people seeing me eat."

Confusion overwhelming any other thought in his head, Natsu looked up at the older woman. "Why?" he asked.

She arched an eyebrow and looked down at herself. "I'm fat," she said. Her tone making it clear as crystal she wasn't pleased by the fact.

Natsu sat, frown still in place, waiting for the woman to finish her explanation. Yet one never came. She just looked away and started picking at her plate without actually eating anything. The thought she might not be eating because he was still watching her crossed his mind, and Natsu turned his head to look out the window.

"You've still gotta eat," he said. "I'm not gonna judge you for it." He laughed. "Not if you don't comment on my table manners, anyway."

Williams huffed and giggled. He heard her tear a piece of the bread off. "Let me guess, you shovel food into your mouth faster than you can chew?"

Natsu grinned. "Yep."

"You're an adolescent male," she answered. Natsu heard the clink of her spoon in the bowl. "That's normal."

"How you figure?"

"I half raised my baby brother," she said.

She paused as she continued to eat while Natsu watched a bird building its nest in the tree just outside the window.

"I have a small army of male cousins. The majority of my friends growing up were guys, and now I have a gaggle of little nephews and baby cousins," she continued between bites. "All of them are walking garbage disposals, at least until they finish growing."

"Any of 'em look like me?" Natsu asked. His heart thundered in his ears as he waited for the answer.

What he heard was half panicked coughing. He jumped up and slapped the older woman on the back a couple of times. She grabbed his shoulder and waved him off. Once he stepped back a bit, she picked up the glass of juice and took a sip. It took her a minute to get control back over her breathing before she could talk.

"What?" she asked.

"Those guys you were talking about," Natsu explained. "Did any of them look like me?"

Her brow creased as she looked over his face and up to the pink spikes of hair on his head. She tilted her head to the side, and her eyes looked into his. "It's hard to tell," she said after a few minutes of consideration. "Pink's not exactly a natural hair color back home."

"It's not?"

She laughed and went back to her meal, seeming to forget about her unease with someone seeing her do so. "Nope. Black, brown, blond, and red yes, but that's it," she said. Tearing a bit of bread off, she dipped it into the broth. "Well, until you're old enough to go gray anyway."

"Really?" Natsu dropped back down onto the end of the bed as he tried to imagine a world where pink, blue, green, and purple weren't normal hair colors.

"Yep." The woman looked back up at him. Her lips pursed, and her eyes considered his features again. "Bits and pieces of your face look familiar, but no, you don't look like any one person back home."

Natsu's stomach felt like he'd tried to eat lightening again, and his heart clenched.

"Why?" she asked.

"I thought we might be related." Natsu looked anywhere but at the older woman sitting across from him. He could feel his cheeks heating up with a blush as he began questioning his nose for the first time in his memory.

"Why would you think that?"

"You smell like family."

Cynthia's eyes widened, and her head jerked back a couple inches. Her expression flitted from surprised to confused before settling on irritated. "Human olfactory senses aren't sensitive enough to pick up on genetic scent markers, at least not on any sort of conscious level," she said. Shaking her head, she went back to her dinner grumbling about how her subconscious was usually better about making up believable scenarios.

Completely confused by the gibberish the woman had just spouted, all Natsu could think of to say was, "Huh?"

She sighed. He didn't know how, but she managed to convey an awful lot of irritation with it as she set her spoon back down and finished her latest bite before answering. "Humans can't smell well enough to know whether someone is a close blood relative or not by scent," she explained. "Most animals can, but we can't."

"Dragons can," Natsu said.

Cynthia raised one dark eyebrow before shaking her head and smirking. "And what, you're a dragon in disguise?"

"No, I'm a dragon slayer."

"What does that have to do with being able to sense kinship by smell?"

"My magic gives me a lot of the same abilities as the dragon that taught me," Natsu explained.

Her eyes went wide again, and her expression filled with awe. The look made her appear years younger, and her voice carried a hint of excitement when she asked, "Dragons are real here?"

"Yep." Natsu nodded with a grin. "No one's seen any in a few years, but yeah, dragons are real."

"Cool." Cynthia grinned and went back to her stew. "What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Natsu," he answered.

She swallowed the last bite of her meal before offering him her hand. "I'm Cynthia Williams," she said as they shook hands. "Most everyone calls me Cindy though. It's nice to meet you, Natsu."

He returned the sentiment before offering to take the tray back down to the kitchen. She thanked him. He passed Gramps and Porlyusica on the way out and picked up his pace. Cindy waking up when she did kept the healer from telling him what her test had determined, and he wanted to hear the answer! Natsu returned the tray and dashed back up to the infirmary in record time, just managing to dodge the questions of a curious Mira and Gray as he dashed back out of the main guildhall.

"Can you tell us what you remember, Mrs. Williams?" Natsu heard Gramps ask as he neared the infirmary doors.

"I was driving home from getting our weekly groceries," Cindy said. "My allergies were terrible with it being tree pollen season and all the local farmers cutting hay, so I was digging through my purse for my inhaler at a stoplight."

Porlyusica and Gramps looked as confused by some of what she was saying as he was when he walked into the room. What were allergies and an inhaler? And what did a light have to do with stopping?

"Anyway, the light changed before I could find it," she continued, not noticing how lost those listening to her were. "I was outside the city limits by then, so there's a good five or six mile stretch between lights. Traffic was booking along pretty well. I was going about sixty when this bright spot appeared in front of me down the road a ways.

Cindy grimaced. "I thought it was just a visual migraine at first. It's not smart to drive with an aura, I know. But I was already barreling down the road miles from home, so what could I do? I didn't realize the thing wasn't just my mind playing tricks until I was right up on it." She sighed. "I didn't have time to stop. There was a truck way too close to try without getting rear ended anyway, and a van was taking its own sweet time to get around me in the other lane. So I swerved off the highway trying to avoid whatever it was. Then I woke up here."

She shrugged as she finished her tale. Cindy looked around at the three confused people staring back at her. She frowned and paled.

"My car didn't come through the what did you call it, did it?" she asked.

"Magic circle," Gramps answered. "And no, thankfully. Just you and your bag."

Cindy rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck from one side to the other. Her movements were slow. "Then why do I still feel like was in a wreck?" She pointed to the now bandaged gash over her eye. "And how'd I get this?"

"Well, you flew out of a magic circle and crashed into a wall," Natsu answered.

"Then you had a series of seizures as your body adapted to this reality," Porlyusica continued the explanation.

"That would explain it," Cindy murmured to herself. "Wait. Adapted?"

"From what you've told us, magic is nonexistent in your world," Porlyusica explained. "Here in Earthland, magic is tied to the lifeforce of every living thing. Without at least a small reserve of magical power, a body will not function."

Cindy's brow furrowed as she worked through the information the healer had given her. "So, you're saying my body more or less mutated to adapt to running on magic energy in place of breaking ATP into ADP as it would back home?"

Porlyusica still looked a little confused, but she nodded nonetheless. "My lasts tests showed the process beginning to stabilize, but I want to keep an eye on you for the rest of the day at least."

Cindy nodded her understanding. Porlyusica cast another diagnostic spell, and the familiar magic circles sprang into existence over the bed. Cindy's eyes widened, and she scooted back against the headboard of the bed she was in.

"Don't be afraid, child," Makarov said and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Porlyusica's just checking your health again."

The circles faded, and that seemed to help Cindy relax a little.

"You're healing normally now," Porlyusica said. "So, you ought to be fine getting up and about by tomorrow morning." She turned her attention to Makarov. "You're going to need to start teaching her first thing though," she continued. "Her reserves are replenishing like any novice's, but her magic's unstable. It'll stay that way until she learns how to control it."

Makarov nodded. "I'll go over the basics with her this evening."

"Control?" Cindy asked. Her eyes went from Porlyusica to Gramps to Natsu and back to Porlyusica. "Basics of what?"

"Being a wizard, of course," Natsu said. Cindy turned to look at him again with a look of shock on her face, and he gave her his biggest grin. "You're going to be a Fairy Tale wizard, Auntie!"


	4. Backlash

“Mother,” Porlyusica said.

Natsu’s heart skipped a beat and then thundered in his chest like it was trying to make up time. He shook his head and looked from the stunned face of the woman in question to see the old healer packing her equipment back into her bag. He couldn’t have heard her right.

“What?” he ended up yelping at the same time Cindy demanded the same.

“According to the test I ran before you woke up Mrs. Williams, you are the alternate of Natsu’s mother.”

Cindy laughed, and the sound hit Natsu like one of Erza’s punches.

“How young do you think I got started?” she asked. She chuckled as she shook her head, but offense darkened her tone. “My eldest turned ten a couple months ago. Besides, I’ve only ever born girls. I have no son, alternate or not!”

Natsu’s head felt like it was spinning, and his heart hurt. After all these years, he’d found a woman Porlyusica said was a copy of his mother, and she was laughing at the thought. He knew she wasn’t the woman who actually bore him, but still, it hurt.

“Alternate realities are never identical, Mrs. Williams,” Makarov said. “Time may flow differently. Different decisions are made, leading to different outcomes.”

“But the tests don’t lie,” Porlyusica broke in. “Magic itself recognizes you as the boy’s mother.”

Cindy’s chuckling faded as Gramps spoke to her. Natsu watched emotions flicker in her eyes as the master and healer spoke. He wasn’t the best at reading expressions, but he knew the downturn her lips made wasn’t good. The flash of anger that followed Porlyusica’s statements was something he recognized all too well.

“Nu uh,” Cindy growled before pinching her arm. “Nope. Nope. Nope,” she continued, pinching her arm and the back of her hand harder with each repetition until she was leaving angry, red welts. She gave a frustrated groan and looked around, searching for something.

When she noticed the hair sticks Porlyusica wore, the glint in her eyes wrenched something in Natsu's gut, and he was moving before the idea to do so registered. He dove toward Cindy as she lunged for the older woman’s hair stick, and he managed to catch her wrist before she could grab the implement. Cindy yelled and twisted her arm, trying to free it. Gramps grabbed her other arm, and Natsu followed his example, taking hold of her elbow as well with his other hand. Still, she fought against them with everything she had.

“Let me wake up!”

Porlyusica must have gotten something out of her bag while Natsu was busy helping Gramps keep Cindy from attacking the healer. She blew some sort of dust right in the other woman’s face, causing Cindy to gasp and then start coughing. If he wasn’t so busy trying to hold onto the alternate of his mother while she continued to thrash and cough, he would have yelled at Porlyusica.

Bit by bit, Cindy’s struggles weakened. She continued to growl at them to let her go. She kept saying she wanted to wake up. Natsu remembered her saying something about all of this being a coma dream. She hadn’t been acting like she thought this was all a dream, so he hadn’t thought about it since. Why would the thought he was an alternate reality version of a son she’d never had upset her so much she’d start hurting herself to try and wake up? He didn’t ponder the question long because whatever Porlyusica gave her must have taken full effect, putting Cindy back into a deep sleep.

Natsu helped Gramps settle her back onto the bed and straighten the sheets over her. He frowned down at the alternate of the mother he couldn’t remember. Her dark hair was a mess of tangled waves after fighting Gramps and him, and he didn’t even want to think about what she’d been planning to do with Porlyusica’s hair stick. Her eyes were puffy, and her face was red and blotchy. He wiped away the drying tear streaks on her cheeks to make sure he wasn’t imagining them. She’d seemed enraged, not sad. So why had she been crying?

“We’ll have to restrain her,” Porlyusica sighed. “She seems to be under the impression she’s dreaming. If she still believes that after she wakes, she may try to hurt herself or someone else again trying to wake herself up.”

Gramps nodded and walked off. Natsu guessed it was to get something to restrain Cindy, so she couldn’t hurt herself when she woke up.

Sighing, Natsu walked back to the chair he’d been using earlier that morning. He plopped down in it and pulled his legs up, crossing them. The edge of the hard chair pressed into the side of his leg. It kind of hurt, but Natsu was too caught up in his thoughts to care.

“Natsu?”

Looking down, Natsu saw Happy looking up at him. Happy looked at the bed with the woman laying in it and back to him.

“We heard yelling,” said Happy. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Natsu answered. He plastered on a grin and rubbed the back of his neck. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Happy jumped up into Natsu’s lap and stood on his crossed legs, pushing his shin harder against the edge of the chair. Natsu’s grin faltered as he tried not to wince. Happy leaned forward, studying him with narrowed eyes.

“Normally when we hear yelling, it’s because you did something.”

“Well, it wasn’t this time,” Natsu said. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window. He knew he was pouting, but he didn’t care. First Cindy laughed at the idea she could even be an alternate version of his mother. Then she got so upset about it, she started trying to hurt herself, and now Happy was picking on him. Today sucked.

“Oh?” Happy still didn’t sound too convinced, but he got out of Natsu’s face. “What happened, then?”

“She didn’t like something Porlyusica said and freaked out.”

Makarov came back in with a bundle, distracting Happy from whatever it was he was about to ask. Natsu balled his hands into fists so tight he could feel his fingernails digging into the palms as he watched Gramps and Porlyusica attach the straps to the bed. Happy went stiff, and the tip of his tail twitched side to side. Once the restraints were secured to the bed frame, they started strapping her down, and Natsu saw Happy’s ears pin back out of the corner of his eye.

“Watcha doing that for?” Happy demanded, jumping down off Natsu’s lap.

“It’s for her own good,” Porlyusica said. She didn’t look up from what she was doing. She finished buckling the strap around the woman’s right wrist and moved to do the same to her ankle.

“How’s being all tied up supposed to help a sick lady?” Confusion was seeping into the anger evident in Happy’s voice, and his tail was still twitching.

“She was trying to hurt herself, Happy,” Natsu said.

“Well, she’s not now!”

“Because I gave her a sedative,” Porlyusica snapped. She and Gramps finished restraining Cindy. The healer stood and retrieved her bag. She didn’t seem to be paying any attention to Happy when she started talking to Gramps again, but what she said answered him all the same. “There’s a chance she’ll be calmer when she wakes up, but she could just as easily be even more agitated than before.” She handed him a bag. “If you absolutely have to, dose her again and send for me, but it better be as a last resort.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Gramps grinned as he accepted the medicine, but it fell a second later. He looked up at the taller woman and laid a hand over hers. “Thank you.”

Porlyusica grunted and tugged her hand out of Makarov’s grasp, but she gave him a sharp nod before walking out the door. Makarov watched her go before tucking the bag she’d given him into his pocket. He glanced back at Cindy before turning to Natsu.

“I’m staying,” Natsu said.

“I could have Erza or Gray sit with her,” Makarov answered.

Natsu shook his head. “No way I’m letting that streaker look after her,” he grumbled, “and Erza was talking about leaving for a job in the morning.”

“Well, do your eating downstairs,” Gramps said. He wagged a wrinkled finger at Natsu as he walked out of the door. “We don’t need crumbs all over the infirmary.”

“Oh yeah!” Happy said with a little skip as he went back to being his usual gleeful self. “That reminds me. Mira said your lunch was ready, Natsu.”

He dropped his feet to the floor but didn’t get up. Natsu’s stomach growled at the thought of food. He was really hungry, but he didn’t want Cindy to wake up all alone and confused.

“I’ll watch over her,” Happy said. He jumped up on the end of her bed and sat down. “Go get your food before Mira sends Erza up here to fetch you.”

A shiver ran down Natsu's spine, and he jumped out of the chair. "Thanks, Buddy," he said as he sprinted out the door.


	5. Moving Forward

Cindy was a lot calmer when she woke up a few hours later. Apparently she'd felt plenty of pain in dreams and even died in a couple, but she'd never gone to sleep in one and then had it continue. Natsu wasn't sure he understood her reasoning, but if it kept her from acting nuts, he wasn't going to argue.

Still, Gramps decided to keep her restrained until the next morning. When he'd argued, Gramps had told Natsu it was to make sure she wasn't just playing along. He was biding his time until Warren got in from his latest job and could confirm Cindy's state of mind.

Natsu and Happy continued to sit with her as they waited for the telepathy mage to return, not that Cindy knew what they were waiting on. She just lay there staring at the ceiling, and the quiet felt awkward. Natsu watched the sky outside shifting from blue to pinks, golds, and purples as the sun began to set. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything that didn't sound stupid.

Eventually Mira and Erza came in with a food tray. They told him to go get some dinner while they helped Cindy eat and clean up. The relief he felt at having an excuse to get out of the room made him feel guilty. He decided to go hunting instead of ordering at the pub to push the frustration and guilt down and try to burn it off.

By the time they got back, the moon was high in the sky, and Cindy was dozing again. Or she looked like she was dozing anyway. After sleeping almost a day and a half, he couldn't imagine she was tired. Bored maybe, but not tired.

He was though, so he shuffled over to the chair he'd been sitting in earlier and dropped into it. Happy jumped up onto the bed beside him and kneaded the mattress before curling up. Natsu let his head drop back, thumping against the wall.

"Go home and get some sleep, Natsu," Mira whispered.

Natsu startled and almost fell out of the chair. He righted himself and squinted into the gloom. How had he missed Mirajane sitting right next to Cindy's bed when he came in? He must be more tired than he thought.

Mira giggled. "You've been here all day," she said. "I can watch over her for a while."

Natsu shook his head. "I'm fine," he said. "You go. I bet you have work in the morning, and I'm all set for a while."

Now that his eyes adjusted to the darkened room, Natsu could see Mira frown and look over at the older woman. After a moment, she turned her head to regard him again with narrowed eyes.

"Are you sure, Natsu?"

"Yeah," he said. "Happy and I have it covered, right buddy?"

"Aye sir!" The cat yawned and wrapped his tail over his paws.

Mirajane watched him for another few minutes. Natsu plastered on his trademark grin even as the hair at his nape stood on end under the woman's scrutiny. On the bed, Happy nodded off oblivious to everything around him. His soft purr could be heard over the muffled din from the pub downstairs.

"If you're certain," Mira said with a slight shrug. She walked toward the door, stopping just before she left the room to look back over her shoulder. "Don't say I didn't offer."

"Night, Mira."

She grinned and wished him a quiet good night before leaving and closing the door. Natsu leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. The contented drone of Happy purring started to lull him into a light doze.

Whether he sat there for hours or just moments before the sensation of magic building up nearby raised the hair on the back of his neck and arms, Natsu didn't know. Instinct and a rush of adrenaline woke him up in a matter of seconds. He dropped his feet to the floor and looked around for the source. It didn't surprise him to see blue sparks dancing over Cindy's bed before a sizable bolt struck the lacrima installed at her bedside.

"You've got to work on your control," he said as he leaned back in the chair.

"Why won't you just leave?" The waver in Cindy's voice pulled at something in Natsu's chest. She pulled against the restraints tying her to the bed. "It's not like I can go anywhere. Why can't you just leave me in peace?"

Natsu sighed and stood. Cindy was restrained in such a way that sitting up wasn't possible, and he felt weird talking to someone when he couldn't see their face. So he walked across the room and looked down at her before he answered.

"Look, I know you aren't my ma," he said. "You said it yourself, you only ever had girls. You aren't from this world; I am." Natsu scratched the back of his head and studied a knot hole in one of the floorboards as he searched for the right words. "But my senses and Porlyusica's tests peg you as my kin. All my instincts are screaming at me to look after my family. It's how it's always been with my Dad and everyone here in Fairy Tail, and now there's you. As long as I can remember, I've never known any of my blood kin. It's not something I can ignore."

Natsu dropped his hand and looked back at Cindy to find her considering him with a frown. He hadn't bothered to turn on any of the lights. With the moonlight shining through the windows, he had no trouble seeing, but she didn't have a dragon slayer's senses. Could she even see him? Cindy's frown eased, and she tilted her head to one side.

"You do favor my little brother a lot, or you would if your hair was black instead of pink," she mused. "You escaped the Ruff curse though."

"Huh?"

Cindy grinned. "The nose," she explained with an awkward attempt to point to her face. "Low, wide bridge and a big ol' button on the end. My maternal grandfather's entire family has it, including my brother, but you could almost be his son."

"Sooooo, Auntie?" Natsu asked with a hopeful grin.

Cindy huffed and fell back into her pillows. She rolled her head toward him and considered him for a moment before a smirk quirked up one side of her mouth. "Yeah, I can deal with another nephew," she said. Cindy returned his smile with one of her own before becoming serious once again and motioning toward the bed where Happy was curled up as best as she could with the restraints. "Get some sleep before you drop, kid."

* * *

 

Cindy spent the rest of the night staring up at the ceiling of the infirmary and going over everything she'd been told and experienced since waking up in this weird place. Disbelief still nagged at her, but at the same time, she couldn't quite believe this was all a dream anymore. Even if it was, she'd never managed lucid dreaming or waking herself up anyway, so what was the point in trying?

Understanding the issues with trying to apply logic to illogical situations but not knowing what else to do, Cindy went back through her memories from the other day. She'd told the little old man the truth. The bright spot they referred to as a magic circle hadn't looked like the one she'd seen when the antisocial healer had run her tests. It had been an almost perfect circle of bright, white light a bit fuzzy around the edges hovering in midair. It looked exactly like the bright spots she sometimes saw as a migraine aura set in. The only difference was it sprang into being full sized instead of starting out tiny and growing, and it didn't move with her field of vision. She couldn't remembering blinking, but Cindy suspected it wouldn't have persisted in her sight if she'd closed her eyes the way a visual migraine would.

Cindy concluded it must have been some sort of portal, but where did it originate? The area she lived on the outskirts of had been referred to as the "silicon valley of the south" for good reason. The largest city in the area was a major research and development center. You couldn't chunk a rock without hitting a scientist or engineer. She ought to know after several years working the local convention circuit. The whole area was flush with geeks and creators like her, and half of them were retired, injured, or frustrated scientists. Yet, she'd been miles from both Research Park and the local arsenal. If whatever it was resulted from an experiment gone wrong, it had to have been projected a long distance from the lab.

And they thought the Mars Climate Orbiter mission was a failure!

She wondered how closely magic in this world paralleled science in hers. One thing was certain, she would bust her butt trying to find a way home. True, dyscalculia destroyed her dreams of being a biochemist, but she understood the theories as well or better than most. Judging by the electrical outbursts she'd had a couple of times since waking, the old man and healer were correct in the assessment that she'd need to study magic. Zapping everything around her when she became nervous or irritated was a nuisance and a fire hazard.

As she thought about it, Cindy could feel the power building up again. Either that, or her limbs were beginning to go numb from being tied down for so long. When her hair began to stand on end in addition to the feeling of pins and needles along her skin, she knew it was another charge building. Cindy closed her eyes and concentrated on forcing her muscles to relax one by one. She counted her breaths and fell back on her usual mantra, using it to clear her mind and calm her mood. Cindy allowed herself a small smile as the tingling abated, and her hair lay back down. She continued to meditate until darkness claimed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to let you readers know the posting schedule may be wonky for the next month or two. I messed up my event calendar, and long story short, I booked more conventions than I thought for the end of the year. So a lot of time I'd otherwise have free will be eaten up restocking and/or packaging orders between now and the holidays. I'd intended to post new chapters every Wednesday and Saturday. I'm going to try and keep as close as I can, but some weeks might just have one posted.


	6. Finding Her Place

Sunlight streaming in through the infirmary window woke Cindy. There was a crisp bite to the air, and she shivered. The muffled din downstairs from the day before was absent this early in the morning. She could hear the cat that seemed to follow Natsu purring as the teen mumbled nonsense in his sleep.

Cindy pulled at her restraints, shifting as much as she was able to ease the ache setting up in her joints after being in one position far too long. Her breath hitched when all she managed to do was cause her left hip to catch deep in the joint. If they didn't let her move soon, she'd hobble around for days trying to stretch the tendons back out.

The door opened, catching Cindy's attention and waking Natsu. Cindy chuckled at the sight of Natsu sitting upright, hair disheveled and face creased from sleep. He didn't even seem to be fully awake yet as he turned to see who came in. Cindy turned her head toward the door to see the pretty white haired girl who had come to help her yesterday. She mentally cursed her ineptitude with names as the young woman giggled at Natsu.

"Morning, you two," the girl said. She shifted the bundle she was carrying in her arms before setting it on the bed next to Cindy's. "Master said it'd be okay to remove the restraints now," she said.

"Yes, please," Cindy responded as a wave of relief washed over her.

Natsu must have woken fully and heard because he was unbuckling the strap around her right wrist a moment later. The girl freed her left. Cindy flexed and rolled her wrists the moment they were loose, and the two teens moved to release her ankles. As they did, Cindy pushed herself up to sit before stretching her neck and rolling her shoulders. Moments later, she was free. Cindy took a bit more care shifting her legs after catching one earlier.

"I thought you'd like to get cleaned up and changed before breakfast," the girl said with a gesture to the bundle she brought up earlier. "Wakaba's wife sent a couple of her older dresses for you to borrow. They won't be a perfect fit, I'm sure, but they're clean."

"I appreciate it," Cindy answered. "After a couple days wearing the same thing without a chance to wash it, I feel more than a little grungy."

"Come on, and I'll show you to the local bath house," the girl said. She turned her attention to Natsu. "Why don't you go get cleaned up too?" she suggested. "I'll bring her back here for breakfast, and Master wants to talk with her later this morning."

Natsu turned dark eyes on Cindy. "You going to be okay?" he asked.

"It's just a bath and a meal," Cindy answered with a chuckle. "I'm sure I'll manage."

Natsu nodded. "Alright then. Thanks, Mira. See ya later." He waved to the two of them and hurried out the door.

"You wouldn't happen to know where my shoes went to, would you?" Cindy asked Mira. She glanced around looking for them, but she didn't see anything. "Or my rings and glasses for that matter?"

"I'm not sure, but we usually keep personal items in these cabinets," Mira answered with a gesture to the cabinet making up the bottom of her bedside table as she walked around the bed.

Cindy swung her legs over the edge of the bed, shivering again as her feet grazed the floor. She was thankful she still had her socks on, but the fact said socks had giant holes in the heels was embarrassing.

"Here are your shoes," Mira said, handing Cindy a pair of well worn sneakers. "And your bag." She sat the purse on the bed beside Cindy. "That's all that's in here." Mira frowned. "Maybe your glasses and rings are in your bag?"

Cindy paused in putting her shoes on, glancing back at the purse. "Probably," she answered. "I'll look once I get my shoes on." Pulling her other shoe on, Cindy tightened and tied her laces as quick as she could. Considering she hit a wall at speed, at least according to Natsu's eyewitness report, she wouldn't be surprised to find her rings and glasses lost or damaged.

Finding her glasses turned out to be easy. They were sitting nestled on top of the center compartment, wedged between the taller outer compartments. She lifted them, groaning as she realized one ear piece was dangling at an odd angle, and the left lens was cracked through.

"Oh no," Mira said.

"At least I mostly needed them for reading and driving."

Cindy frowned and opened the front compartment. She checked it for her rings before tucking the damaged eye-wear into the little used compartment. Digging through the other two compartments proved to be more difficult. She pulled out a plethora of pill bottles, a small jar of ointment, chapsticks, pens, her wallet, loose change, and a handful of crumpled receipts. A good twenty minutes later, she gave up and started cramming everything back into her purse.

Her eyes burned, and tears blurred her vision. Cindy supposed she shouldn't be surprised. The only chain she'd had to put them on was a dinky, delicate little thing. All it would have taken was getting it snagged on the smallest thing in a crash, and her rings would have gone rolling away. Still, it hurt. She'd worn her engagement ring one way or another for fourteen years and her wedding band for eleven. Disgusted with herself, Cindy wiped her eyes and sniffed as she finished packing her purse.

"No rings?" Mira asked. There was a pitying note in her voice, making it plain Cindy's tearing up didn't escape her.

Cindy gave a bitter chuckle as she answered, "It's my own fault for wearing them on a chain instead of having them resized."

She sighed and stood. The bones in her feet ached, and the tendons up her left leg screamed in protest. Cindy pushed through the pain, keeping a tight rein on her expression as she forced the tendons to stretch until she stood up straight. Having her husband lovingly pick at her for "getting old" was one thing. Having these strangers notice was another. She was sick and tired of looking pathetic in this new world, and she wouldn't let something like the usual stiffness from being still too long make her look even more pitiable. Besides, the pain would fade with movement and a nice, hot bath.

* * *

 

Using a public bath house was a strange and rather embarrassing experience in Cindy's opinion. She'd never so much as used the showers in a gym before, which at least had the benefit of a curtain. Humiliation and a whole new set of body hang ups aside, at least she was clean and somewhat presentable as she returned to the Fairy Tail guildhall.

Cindy took the breakfast Mira gave her to a small table tucked into the back corner of the pub and did her best to blend in with the wall as she ate. Wrapping her hands around a warm mug, she thanked God coffee was a thing in this new world. As she sipped, she observed the people trickling into the guild. Soon enough, she finished and returned her dishes to the bar.

"You know, I would have come and gotten the dishes, right?" Mira asked.

Cindy shrugged. "I wanted to see if I could get another cup of coffee anyway."

"Sure." Mira carried the dirty dishes into the back and returned with a coffee pot. She refilled Cindy's cup.

"Thanks," Cindy said as she added a bit of sugar. "I don't suppose the money I took out of my purse before looked familiar at all?"

"No," Mira answered with a shake of her head. "Sorry."

"I didn't think so." Cindy scoffed. "It's close enough to worthless back home these days anyway." She sipped her coffee. "You think I could work off my tab washing dishes or something?"

"You'll have to ask Master Makarov," Mira answered. "He wants to speak to you once you finish your breakfast. You can ask him then."

Cindy nodded and took another sip. She was reluctant to take up too much of the teen's time, working as she was, but it seemed like there wasn't much for her to do at the moment. "So, what exactly is it Fairy Tail does?"

The girl talked and talked as Cindy finished her coffee. Apparently she'd asked the right person. Cindy's head was spinning by the time her cup was empty. Mira waved someone over as she took it.

"So, what do you think of the guild?" Natsu asked as he took the stool next to Cindy's.

"It's interesting," Cindy answered. "It reminds me of the union my dad belongs to in some ways, but it seems more like an extended family rather than just an organization of skilled laborers."

"It is." Natsu grinned.

"Hey, she's awake!"

Cindy looked over Natsu's shoulder to see who spoke and almost fell off her stool in shock when she saw the strange looking cat that was always hanging around Natsu. Not only did the feline have blue fur and an unusually large head, but it had sprouted wings and spoke! Cindy ignored the way her heart hammered against her ribs and tried to get her breathing under control as Natsu made introductions. No one else seemed phased by the creature, so she concluded the cat Natsu introduced as Happy must be native to this reality.

"Nice to meet you, Happy," Cindy said with a smile, swallowing her remaining surprise and trying not to be rude.

"You too," Happy answered. He landed on the bar, and his wings disappeared. "Are you going to join the guild?"

"I'm not sure yet." Cindy shrugged and fiddled with the ridiculous sash of the dress she'd been given. "I need to talk with Master Makarov."

"Well, come on then," Natsu said as he jumped up. "I'll take you to Gramps' office."

"I thought you said you didn't have any kin."

Natsu laughed. "He's not actually my grandpa. That's just what those of us that came to the guild as kids call him."

"Ah."

Cindy mulled over that bit of information as she followed Natsu through the main part of the guild and down a hall. Other than the healer, Makarov, and a handful of guys that looked about her age, everyone she saw looked like a kid. She knew the teenagers wouldn't see it that way, but she couldn't help it. When did teenagers start to seem so impossibly young? Had it been when she became a mother, or was it something about entering her thirties? In any case, the lack of wizards of a certain age within the guild made her uneasy about the prospect of becoming one. Yet, she didn't see where she had much choice.

Natsu stopped in front of an open door and peeked inside. "I brought Cindy to talk to ya."

Cindy looked into the room in time to see Master Makarov look up from a stack of paperwork. He greeted them with a warm smile.

"Come in, Mrs. Williams," said Makarov.

Cindy stepped into the office with Natsu and Happy following behind. Makarov shot the two an annoyed look and told them to go back to the pub. Natsu protested, but Cindy backed the guild's master up. She wanted to get this talk out of the way, and from what she'd seen of the teenager, he'd interrupt every few minutes. Natsu pouted, but the "try me" expression she'd perfected when her little brother was in the same type of mood back when they were kids sent him scurrying out the door.

Makarov chuckled and slid the papers aside. "I'm happy to see you up and about."

"I apologize for the trouble I've caused." Cindy felt her face go hot as she blushed at the memory of how she behaved yesterday. "I'll find some way to pay you back for all your help."

Makarov waved away her concern. "It's understandable. You had quite a shock, and to be perfectly honest, compared to most of these brats of mine, you were no trouble at all."

He grinned before growing serious. "I see Mira gave you the lacrima pendant."

Cindy looked down at the odd, crystal like sphere about the size of a marble hanging from a chain around her neck. "She said it would keep me from accidentally zapping anyone."

Makarov nodded. "It's a temporary measure until you can learn to control the magic you've been gifted." The old man drummed his fingers on the desk and regarded her as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with her. "As a grown woman, you're a bit old to become a ward of the guild, but as an untrained 'natural' mage with unstable power, I'm afraid you are still my responsibility."

"Accept your help or find myself becoming Fairy Tail's problem, in other words?"

"A bit blunt, but not incorrect." Makarov's smile turned grim if no less friendly, and he sighed. "If you decide to join the guild, we can find something for you to do around the hall to pay the guild back as well as provide training until you have enough control to begin taking regular jobs."

"What kind of work needs doing?" Cindy shifted her weight from one foot to the other and fought the urge to clasp her hands behind her back.

"There's always something." Makarov shrugged. "What skills do you have?"

"Well, there's the usual," Cindy began. "Cooking, cleaning, all that jazz." She hurried through the more physically demanding aspects hoping they'd be forgotten. Working as a house cleaner off and on since high school to make ends meet left her with several repetitive stress injuries. She didn't want to add to them if she could help it. "I worked retail for several years, but these days, I mostly stick to office administration."

"Office administration?"

"Greeting visitors, answering calls, filing, bookkeeping, mail, billing, writing reports, and scheduling appointments," Cindy explained. Makarov's confusion surprised her, but she figured it was the result of a difference in jargon. "Basically anything and everything you need to make an office run smoothly."

Makarov's eyes grew wide, and he gave the piles of paperwork on his desk a furtive glance. "You any good?"

"I believe the words 'rock star admin' might have been used now and again." The fact the boss who used the phrase was likely over impressed because he lacked the organizational skills for competent office management wasn't something Cindy felt it appropriate to mention. She grinned and shrugged. "It's easy enough when you grow up in a family of type-A perfectionists."

"I could certainly use the help." Makarov gestured to the stacks of papers around him and then what she assumed where cabinets full of files. "These brats keep me buried in paperwork," he grumbled.

Cindy worked out the details regarding her work hours, when she'd take lessons, and all joining the guild would entail with Master Makarov over the next several minutes. Once all that was settled, she went back out to the main hall to look for Mira as she'd been instructed. The young woman was easy enough to find, busy waiting tables. Cindy wound her way through the crowd that had gathered in the time she spoke with Makarov.

"I need to get my emblem when you get a moment," she said upon catching Mira's attention.

"Oh yay!" Mira almost squealed with a smile. "Go wait at the bar, and figure out where you want it placed. I'll be there in a second."

Cindy nodded and turned away from Mira only to almost run right into Natsu.

"So you're joining up?" he asked.

Cindy nodded and made her way toward the bar. The teen smiled and followed. The relief evident in the expression and the visible release of tension in his shoulders tugged at her heart. Was he that starved for family? Coming from as large a mass of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and great-grands as she did, Cindy found it hard to imagine. Yet here she was cut off from all those relatives, her friends. Everyone she'd ever known was in another reality, and who knew when or even if she'd ever see them again.

Panic threatened to overwhelm her at the thought, so she decided to distract herself with the urgent in the here and now. "Where do you think I should get my emblem?" she asked as they sat down at the bar.

"Wherever you want," Natsu answered with a dismissive shrug. "Just make it somewhere you don't mind showing off, because it's proof you're a member."

"Makes sense," Cindy answered. She considered her options. Getting a tattoo or something similar wasn't something she'd ever thought of doing. At least here it was done with a spell instead of ink and needles, but she still didn't think she wanted it to be somewhere she couldn't hide. Who knew when it might become a hindrance? Her first thought was to have it put somewhere she'd usually cover with clothing, but Natsu's advice made that seem less than smart unless she wanted to have to partially strip or flash someone to prove she was a member.

"Have you decided where you want your mark?" Mira asked as she returned to her station behind the bar. She rummaged around under it for a moment before pulling out what looked like a large stamp.

Cindy felt like a deer caught in oncoming headlights for a second before a flash of inspiration hit her. She turned her back to Mira before gathering her hair and twisting it up out of the way. "Would the back of my neck work?" she asked.

"It's unusual, but sure," Mira answered. "Hold still."

Something hard and cold pressed to the back of Cindy's neck, right in the middle. The pressure increased before a flash of heat sent a jolt of fear skittering down Cindy's spine. Then nothing as Cindy presumed the stamping mechanism was removed.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Mira chirped, and Cindy could practically hear her smile.

Cindy let her hair fall back around her shoulders and turned around to thank Mira as she sat back down. "Now I just have to find a place to stay."

"That's easy," Natsu said. "You're family. You can live with me and Happy."

Cindy's first impulse was to protest, but something in the teenager's expression stopped her. Once again, she was struck by the sense he was desperate for family. She couldn't help but imagine her own girls in his position, on their own at such a young age, and it had her heart feeling like it was in a vice. The overdeveloped maternal instincts that caused her so much grief over the years wouldn't let her turn her back on him.

"Alright," she agreed. "But just until I can get a place on my own."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might notice the story's rating has been changed to T. I decided to cut this one off after the end of the Loke arch after all. Whether or not I write the sequel I have in my head will be dependent upon two things. First would be demand. I mean, if folks don't like the original enough to care, why waste time, right? Second will be whether or not I have any free time for working on it between writing originals, keeping stocked up if I'm still working the convention circuit, the day job, and making sure my kids are keeping up in school.


	7. Settling In

Cindy regretted her decision when they arrived at the little hut Natsu and Happy shared. As soon as they opened the door, the combination of dust, stale sweat, moldering laundry, and long forgotten dishes that seemed universal to rooms belonging to teenage boys wafted from inside. Cindy scrunched her nose and braced herself for the mess she was certain lay beyond the door.

The interior was even worse than she feared. Piles and stacks of random items were scattered all over the hut. Dirty laundry and dishes littered half of the surfaces, and Cindy wasn't even sure whether the building was plumbed or not. She couldn't see anything that looked the least bit like a kitchen or bathroom. A shudder went down her spine, and her stomach felt like it was trying to tie itself in knots. She took small comfort in the fact the place at least seemed free of mold and vermin, but at the same time, she couldn't see herself being able to stand staying here unless some improvement was made.

"Do dragons in this reality have a habit of building hordes like they do in the stories back home?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah," Natsu answered with a shrug. The grin he'd been wearing faded a bit. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Cindy said, trying her best to make her voice sound nonchalant. She added that bit of information to what she knew about Natsu and the dragon he called dad. "I've always been a big mythology geek, and dragons are my favorite mythological creatures."

"They're real." A note of defensiveness darkened the statement.

"Here they are," Cindy corrected as she made her way deeper into the hut, careful to avoid obstacles on the floor. "Back home, not so much. They're creatures of magic, and magic only exists in stories and myths and legends in my home reality." Her hands twitched, itching to start cleaning and organizing. She clenched her fists to quell the urge.

"You don't like it here, do you?"

Cindy sighed and turned to face the pouting teen. "I want to go home," she answered. "My husband and girls are probably frantic, or they think I'm dead." She could almost feel herself pale as she a realization struck her. "And I wrecked the only vehicle we had, so now Lee has no way to get to work!"

The room she was in faded from Cindy's awareness as guilt and panic pulled her inward, and she started rambling. "Well, there's the old busted up Boneville, but that thing's a death trap. What kind of coverage did we have on the car? The loan required full coverage, didn't it? Yeah, they should cover it. It won't give him enough to get a good replacement, but something better than one we ran into the ground, right? But he can't work and homeschool the girls at the same time. What'll he do? Maybe his mom will take over for me until I can get home. She raised three gifted children, surely she can…"

"Woah, calm down!" Natsu grabbed Cindy by the shoulders and gave her a shake.

The sudden shift broke her out of the downward spiral she'd found herself in, and Cindy blinked at him. Her heart continued to thunder in her ears, and worries about how well Lee would be able to keep the three of them clothed and fed continued to nag at the back of her mind. But she regained a bit of control over herself.

"Worrying about your family isn't going to do them any good." Natsu let go of her shoulders and frowned at her. "It's just going to keep you too distracted to function. Have a little faith in them."

Cindy felt her face go hot all the way to her ears. She looked down in shame and nodded, chagrined to be chastised by a boy less than half her age. "You're right," she murmured. "It's not like we never planned ahead for the eventuality of one of us dying." She winced at the comparison she'd just made, but for all intents and purposes, she might as well be dead to her home reality for the time being. "It'll be hard, but Lee and the girls will do okay."

"That's more like it!"

Cindy looked back up to find Natsu grinning again. She chuckled at his seemingly boundless optimism.

"I didn't mean to get you all upset," he said. Natsu huffed and scrubbed at the back of his neck, embarrassment evident in his tone. "I was actually talking about my house."

"Oh!" Cindy knew she probably resembled a fish with her eyes wide and mouth half open. She facepalmed and shook her head. "I'm so stupid," she muttered under her breath.

Cindy grimaced as she let her hand fall back to her side. She cast about for a way to explain without being rude or hurtful.

"I don't hate it," she said. Cindy shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and her fingers twitched. "It's just a little," she trailed off as she searched for the right word, "chaotic."

Natsu nodded.

"As my freak out a moment ago proves, I kind of have control issues." Cindy felt her face go hot again as Natsu laughed and agreed. "Disorganization makes me twitchy." She laughed. "I managed to make it several months before I attacked Lee's room back when we were dating, but this is on a whole other level."

"You want to clean my house?" Natsu's eyebrows inched toward his hairline.

"Yep," Cindy agreed.

"You're weird, Auntie."

"Yep. I know."

Natsu's gaze dropped to her still twitching fingers, and he groaned. "You're not going to get rid of everything are you?"

"That would be horribly rude," Cindy answered. She crossed her arms to try and stop the jittery feeling in her limbs. "I'm guessing you picked up a habit of hoarding from your adoptive father?"

A look of hurt flashed in Natsu's eyes, and he tipped his chin up. "So Happy and I like keeping things to remember our adventures. Is that wrong?"

Cindy held her hands up. "I meant no offense," she said. "I'm just trying to assess the situation. Momentoes can be organized and displayed, and keeping them is a far cry from compulsive hoarding."

Natsu grimaced. "Some people feel compelled to keep stuff? Like they have no control?"

Cindy nodded and lowered her arms back to her sides. "It's a way of dealing with anxiety or trying to take control, sometimes on a subconscious level." She frowned. "It makes it hard for them, just living day to day and to recover for those who seek treatment." She looked around the room again. "If this 'chaos' is just the result of not knowing how to organize your mementos and never getting into the habit of tidying up, that's easily remedied."

"It is?" Natsu looked and sounded more than a little nervous, and Happy was snickering away in a hidden corner somewhere.

Cindy nodded. "How's this? You and Happy help me sort through these piles. Let me know what's most important to you, and I'll help you find a way of keeping it where you can enjoy it without making getting around in here difficult. Then, if we can make a good dent in it by dinner time, I'll see if I can't make some of my special dishes."

The smile that lit up Natsu's face brought one to Cindy's.

"I'm all fired up!"

* * *

The rest of that day was spent sifting through all the piles and stacks throughout the hut. It did have a rudimentary kitchen and a small bathroom. There was even a tiny bedroom that hadn't been used as anything but a storeroom in years judging by the piles of junk and thick layer of dust blanketing everything. Unfortunately, the kitchen was a disaster, and other than a few whole fish in the fridge, it was bare of food.

Cindy was concerned to discover Natsu and Happy lived on nothing but pub food, fish, and whatever game they killed. She figured such a diet was okay for Happy, being an obligate carnivore, but Natsu needed a more varied diet. Cindy wasn't about to live off nothing but meat, that was for sure. So she'd written out a list of basic staples and sent the boys out to purchase groceries. While they were gone, she scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom until the idea of using them didn't make her skin crawl.

That night, Cindy dropped onto the couch and fell asleep in minutes out of pure exhaustion.

She fell into a routine over the next week. The three of them would walk to the guildhall after breakfast. Natsu and Happy would either hang around the guild or disappear for the day while Cindy spent the first half setting the guild's records to rights, a daunting task considering it was a chore Makarov had been years behind on due to trying to handle it all on his own since taking over for the second master. After lunch, she worked with Makarov or whomever was free and willing to help her learn the basics of being a wizard. When she was done for the day, Cindy went back to the hut she now shared with Natsu and Happy and spent the rest of the evening chipping away at the backlog of chores.

As the week went on, she was introduced to more members of the guild as they came and went tending to the jobs posted. It saddened and amazed her just how many of the young people came to the guild as orphans. Almost all of them grew up supporting themselves, and from what she'd been able to gleen, they did so without being provided any sort of education unless it was volunteered by one of the older members. Considering that, the state the hut was in when she arrived made perfect sense. She'd spent an entire day quietly seething no one had ever thought these kids might need to be taught how to cook or clean for themselves before her initial reaction burned away. Once she'd calmed down, it was easy enough to see there was no way Makarov would be able to parent so many children.

Natsu claimed her as his auntie, and he really did remind her of her brother at that age. The boy needed a maternal figure in the worst way, so she determined she'd act as one while she was stuck in Earthland. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to leave a child in her care unable to properly care for themselves anyway. So she coaxed both Natsu and Happy into "helping" with various chores and cooking meals the way she had her own children.

Thus far, she hadn't had an opportunity to begin her search for a way home, and the pull of her desire to do so was a constant distraction. She'd discovered it was late March when she arrived in Earthland, when it had been mid September back home in what she'd taken to calling Terra. The difference in the way the people of both realities counted years was vast enough that she was unable to translate the difference. So while she knew there must be some kind of time differential between the two realities, she had no idea how big or small it might be. That knowledge added another layer of worry to the ever growing pile. Yet, it seemed her best bet for a way to return home or at least make some kind of contact lay with magic. Cindy had observed the complexity of what the wizards here did, and she understood she'd be unable to piece anything together without learning the theory first. So, she studied.

Even when she wasn't engaged in her afternoon lessons, Cindy studied. She fell back on the habits of her youth. She listened and observed. She read any scrap of information about the subject she came across, and she asked questions. Cindy filed away any and all data she came across on the subjects, going over them, searching for how they all fit together, each night as she lay on the little couch trying to fall asleep.

* * *

Loke found himself rather disappointed the guild was quiet as he walked in. He'd been gone for ten days after taking a job halfway across Fiore. The listing had looked interesting, and the pay was decent. So he'd taken it thinking it might be a good way to kill a couple weeks. However, the bandits absolutely wreaked, making them easy to track given his dulled but still powerful sense of smell. He'd finished the job and collected his reward in just a day and a half. The rest of the trip was spent taking a series of trains cross country, and there hadn't even been any interesting women to distract himself with on the way back.

Maybe it was time to consider finding a team. The thought reminded him of his home and fellow spirits, and the shame of what he'd done to be separated from them struck him, making his heart feel like it'd turned to stone. Loke shook himself and resolved to think about it some other day. For now, he was home and tired, and he wanted a bit of fun to hold the ghosts at bay for the night.

Loke spotted Cana at her usual table. The card mage enjoyed the flirting game almost as much as he did, and she never took it seriously, which was a plus. He already had female admirers aplenty. He frowned to see Mira set two tankards of ale in front of Cana. She'd soon smell of booze, and it burned his nose. He'd had more than enough of pungent smells on the trains these past few days, so maybe not tonight.

"Look who's back." Gray clapped Loke on the back. "Took you long enough. Those bandits give you a hard time?"

Gray dropped onto the bench of a nearby table, and Loke shook his head as he sat down opposite his friend.

"Nah, I caught them in less than two days, but it took me four by train to get out there and another four home," he explained. "Easy job. Boring trip, but it paid well enough. So I can't complain."

"What's the matter, no chicks to flirt with along the way," Gray teased with a smirk. He laughed at Loke's offended expression. "Man, you need a hobby."

A bundle of cloth dropping into Gray's lap interrupted their conversation. Loke looked up to find a woman who looked to be somewhere in her thirties standing beside their table. She had a rather broad frame Loke wasn't accustomed to seeing in women in this part of Fiore, and she was a bit past what would be considered plump, which was unusual for a wizard given their lifestyle. Was she a retired member of the guild? The woman was on the plain side, but Loke didn't think he'd completely overlook a person just because they were unremarkable.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Natsu and Happy got off to, would you?" the woman asked Gray.

"They took a job," Gray answered. He pulled a shirt on that looked a lot like the cloth bundle that'd been dropped on him a moment ago. "Mira could give you the details."

The woman nodded. "Thanks."

Loke stood and offered her his hand. "I don't think I've seen you around," he said. "I'm Loke."

The woman gave him an odd look but shook his hand anyway. "Cynthia," she said. "Nice to meet you." She released his hand and turned back to Gray. "If you happen to see the boys, can you let them know I went back to the house, and if they want dinner, they'd better get home before sun down?"

"Yeah," Gray agreed. "No problem."

Cynthia thanked him again and nodded to them both before walking toward the bar to speak to Mira. She had her hair twisted up into a neat bun, displaying a dark blue guild mark on the back of her neck.

Loke figured that answered one question, but he was still perplexed by the strange woman who didn't seem to fit. Gray seemed to know her, though.

"Don't tell me the dragonslayer's gotten himself an older woman," he said as he sat back down.

Gray coughed and sputtered, nearly choking on air, and his expression was priceless. "Don't let Natsu hear you say that!" he said once he got himself back under control. "Flame brain claims she's some long lost relative of his. Calls her 'Aunt Cindy' and everything."

"So what's her deal?" Loke asked. "She doesn't exactly seem like a wizard, but she has a guild mark."

"New recruit," Gray answered. "There was some weird accident. Master brought her in a couple days after you left sparking like a live wire in her sleep, and her magic's still unstable. Apparently she didn't use magic before then, but she can't help it now. That's why she wears that lacrima around her neck. It keeps her from electrocuting things until she can learn to control it."

Loke hummed as he considered what Gray told him and watched the newest member of the guild leave the hall. "Strange."

"Yeah," Gray agreed.

When Loke turned back aground, Gray was watching him with an amused smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. "What?" he asked.

"You might want to avoid bringing your gaggle of girlfriends around the guild while she's here unless you want a lecture."

"Oh?" Loke raised an eyebrow. "Is she preachy?"

"She's a complete mother hen," Gray grumbled.

"I can't wait to hear this."

"Take a guess why Cana's only now getting her usual barrel of wine." Gray gestured to the card mage's usual table.

Loke looked over to see Mira rolling a barrel to the table.

"She set in on Cana the other day," Gray explained. "Cindy went on and on about the damage alcohol does to the body and asking if Cana was trying to put herself into an early grave. Cana's toned it down while Cindy's in the hall since." He shot a sheepish look at Loke. "The woman's even knocked Natsu and me around the ears a couple times for fighting."

"Really?" Loke chuckled. "And she didn't get smashed through a wall?"

Gray glared at him for a second before grimacing. "She doesn't have to get close. The woman's a mean shot," he mumbled. "Having half the guild laugh when an old woman manages to ping a pen off your head from across the room is embarrassing."

It was Loke's turn to laugh. "And Master Makarov is fine with her doing stuff like that?"

"You kidding?" Gray scowled. "He encourages her! Said it was about time someone gave him a hand keeping us 'brats' in line."

* * *

A couple of Loke's girlfriends came looking for him at the guild the next day after hearing he was back in town. He decided to hang around the hall with them just to see how this new mother hen would react. It felt like it'd been centuries since he saw a matron in her element, and he thought it might be entertaining to experience someone try and mother him.

Cynthia came into the guild behind Natsu and Happy not long afterward. She balanced a box on top of a brightly colored bundle, and she walked straight to the table where Macao and Wakaba were eating breakfast. Loke half listened to the girls talking about how they'd missed him as he watched Cynthia greet the wizards with a smile.

"Here are the dresses your wife let me borrow," she said to Wakaba as she set the bundle down. "Along with a pie I baked fresh for y'all last night, with my thanks."

The girls pulled his attention away from the exchange after that, demanding he tell them all about his last mission. He kept an eye on the woman as he embellished the boring trip, wanting to catch her reaction. Cynthia's gaze fell on his little group right about the time he got to the part where he beat the bandits. The girls squealed and hugged his arms.

The corners of Cynthia's mouth twitched, and her lips thinned in disapproval. She shook her head, never breaking stride as she marched toward Makarov's office.

Loke turned his full attention to the ladies hanging off of him, trying not to let his disappointment in the lack of reaction get to him.


	8. Everything Changes

Cindy sat down at the bar in a daze. She came in this morning the same as she had every day for a month, and as of an hour ago, the massive stack of overdue filing was done. As she'd always done at any job she worked, Cindy went to her boss and asked what else they wanted done. She'd gotten used to the somewhat stunned expressions those bosses leveled at her whenever she finished a task in a fraction of the time they expected. Makarov wasn't any different in that respect. He met her request for more work with the same wide-eyed expression her last boss had worn, but he didn't assign another task. No, he told her to go pick a job off the board now that she'd gained a basic understanding and control of her magic.

She'd protested, but Makarov wouldn't hear it. She'd earned half wages throughout the month she'd worked as the guild's admin, with the other half going to pay back her debt. It'd provided enough for her to purchase the necessities she needed, having come to this world with only her purse and the clothes on her back, but it didn't seem like near enough to cover the medical expenses and food tab she'd accrued her first couple of days in Earthland. Yet, Makarov insisted her account was square. Eventually, Cindy had to conclude her understanding of the local currency was must be shakier than she thought.

Cindy had asked if her performance was lacking. After all, administration was a constant need for any organization, why else would he basically tell her to hit the bricks? That's when Makarov stunned her by saying there just wasn't enough work to keep her busy now that the backlog was squared away. He wanted her to stay on as the admin, but unless something changed, she would be able to handle the usual volume of filing and the like by coming in for a day or two a month.

It was only then she stopped to really compare an Earthland wizarding guild to a typical Terran office. Wizarding guilds didn't advertise or focus on building a customer base. Work comes to them based on their reputation, and the guild members pick their own assignments and handle most of their own paperwork. Makarov only needed help when he got caught up in red tape because one of his wizards went overboard on a mission, which while frequent, wasn't a constant thing. So, she acquiesced and went back out to the main hall.

The listings on the job board were confusing. She understood several of the requests, but her knowledge of Fiore was lacking. She had no clue how far away a lot of these places were, and she didn't understand much of the culture. It all made her head spin, so she sat down at the bar and ordered a cup of coffee to sip on while she mulled over her decision.

"What's the matter?" Mira asked when she set the cup in front of Cindy a minute later.

"Master Makarov wants me to take a job off the board," Cindy answered. "Looking at the requests made me realize exactly how clueless I am about Fiore and Earthland as a whole."

"You feel lost."

Cindy nodded.

"You could always team up with someone," Mira suggested.

"I don't want to hold anyone back though." Cindy frowned and wrapped her hands around the comforting warmth of her mug. "I have the strength of the average wizard of seven," she groused, "and even less control. Master only gave me clearance to stop wearing the lacrima three days ago! Exactly what could I bring that'd be of use to a team?" She laughed without humor. "Unless there's a request for organizing something or other, anyway."

"Shut up," Mira snapped.

Cindy looked up, surprised to hear such a sharp tone from the normally bubbly girl. Mira frowned at her with her fists perched on her hips.

"Is finding everything you can wrong with yourself a hobby of yours, or does everyone back in Terra do it?" She stared at Cindy. When she didn't get an answer, Mira sighed. "Just stop it. Master wouldn't have told you to take a job if he didn't believe you could handle it. Don't throw his faith in you back in his face!"

Chewing on her bottom lip, Cindy looked down into her cup like it could provide answers. She didn't know what to make of the guild members' irritation with self-deprecation. Back home it was almost expected, or people saw you as arrogant. Or was that just her family? Lee and his folks seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, just frowning at her for it without actually scolding her as Natsu and Mira had a time or two. Well, with the exception of Lee when she'd get down on her herself now and again for missing a deadline or hitting a snag with her seemingly endless struggle with her weight since having Riley. She made a mental note to keep her opinions about herself to herself from now on.

"Maybe I should take a couple of days and hit the library," she mumbled. "Study up on Fiore."

Mira made a noise of agreement, and Cindy could practically feel the aura around the younger woman shift from angry back to content. Cindy sipped her coffee. She watched the steam twist and curl over the cup as her mind wandered. If she was back home, it'd be mid-October by now. She'd be preparing for NerdCon and working double time to get ready for the holiday rush.

It seemed like forever since she'd written or made anything. Maybe that was part of the reason she felt wound too tight. She found one of her crochet hooks and a stray tapestry needle buried at the bottom of her purse when she finally got around to cleaning it out the other day. If she could find some decent yarn, a bit of stitch therapy would be welcome, and traveling would be the perfect time to indulge. The thought loosened the knot in her gut a bit.

"Oh no."

Cindy looked up to find Mirajane frowning in the direction of the job board. "What's wrong?"

"Loke's looking at the Akane request," she answered.

"And that's bad because?"

"The last time he took a job in a resort town, he broke the wrong heart and got us banned," Mira grumbled. "And that one's a two week job."

"Is he really that much of a Don Juan?" Cindy had seen the boy around, usually with a girl or three fawning over him. He was on the pretty side and seemed to speak almost entirely in corny pick-up lines. She found it rather hilarious and more than a little sad for the girls' sakes. It was so easy to be pulled in by sweet words and a handsome face at that age.

Mira gave her a confused look and shrugged. "Probably, if that's someone who courts a lot of women." She looked back to the board and groaned.

Cindy glanced that way to see the kid in question pulling a request from the board.

"Oh!" Mira grabbed Cindy's wrist in excitement. A broad smile lit up her expression. "You should go with him," she whispered. The teen bounced on the balls of her feet. "He can show you the ropes, and you can keep him out of trouble!"

"You want me to babysit him?" Cindy didn't know whether to laugh or growl.

"Oh please," Mira begged. "It's a simple security job protecting an exhibit, and Akane's the best beach town in this region. We can't get banned from it too!" The barmaid released Cindy's arm and quieted as Loke walked up to them.

"I'm going to take this job, Mira," he said, holding out the flyer.

"The one at Akane resort?" she asked as if she didn't know.

Cindy leaned over and made a show of looking at the flyer as Loke nodded. "Oh, come on!" she fussed. "I was just talking to Mira about taking that one too."

Loke's brow furrowed as he looked over at her. "Really?"

Mira nodded while taking down the contact information from the back of the flyer. "I was telling her what a perfect first job it'd make for her." Cindy was impressed with the amount of pouting she managed to convey with her voice without resorting to poking her bottom lip out.

"First job?"

"Well, first wizarding job, yes," Cindy agreed with a nod. "The one I have here at the hall just became an extremely part-time thing."

Loke considered her from behind his ever present shades and slid onto one of the stools. Cindy frowned down into her mug and heaved a sigh.

"I guess it's back to square one."

"Or we could team up," Loke suggested.

Cindy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. "You'd want to team up?"

Loke shrugged. "Traveling solo gets boring. I've been kicking around the idea of finding a partner for several weeks now."

Cindy tilted her head to the side and tried to look like she was mulling it over for a minute. She smiled and nodded. "Okay. It's worth a shot, and I could use the experience and money."

"Here you go," Mira said and handed the flyer back to Loke.

He thanked her before turning his attention back to Cindy. "Meet up at the train station about seven in the morning?"

Cindy agreed. Loke left with a wave, and Cindy turned back to Mira.

"You owe me," she said.

"I know just how to pay you back." She giggled at Cindy's raised eyebrow. "The flyer said they wanted the security to blend in with the guests," she explained. "I know what you've earned so far can't cover the kind of clothes you'll need for that, so I'll help you get ready for your trip."

* * *

Loke was surprised to find Cynthia sitting on a bench outside the train station when he arrived just before seven the next morning. She looked horrible. Her ever present bun was a mess, and the sweater she wore looked like it was made for Elfman, swallowing even the large woman's frame whole. Her eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, and she clutched a large travel mug like a lifeline.

Cynthia must have noticed his approach because she stood and pulled the straps of three bags of varying size onto her left shoulder, wincing a bit as she did. Her greeting was quiet and weary sounding. Loke returned it and pulled open the station door for them to enter. He led the way to the ticket counter, and they ordered.

Loke frowned as he heard Cynthia stumble over her words. She garbled Akane's name twice before she managed to say it properly, and there was a slight slur to her speech. He'd just thought she must not be a morning person upon seeing her disheveled state this morning, but now he was growing concerned. Taking advantage of his proximity to the woman, he sniffed. She smelled of coffee with an undercurrent of lemongrass, eucalyptus, and a few other herbs he couldn't discern, not booze, but still.

Tickets in hand, they stepped away from the counter and made their way to the proper platform to wait for their boarding call.

"Are you hungover?" he asked, keeping his voice low, once they were away from the counter.

"Nope," she answered without so much as looking his way. Her shoulders were stiff, and her voice sounded pinched.

Loke couldn't tell if her reaction was the result of anger or pain. "I've just never heard you stutter or mangle words before, and then there's the shades."

Cynthia sighed, and her cheeks reddened. "It's called aphasia," she said. "It happens every now and then, and it'll pass." She hitched the bags higher on her shoulder as they reached their terminal. "I've already taken medication to try and knock it out."

"You sure you're up to going?" Loke asked. Whatever aphasia was, he'd never heard of it before. She spoke about it like it was something common though, and apparently there was medication for it. Still, she seemed exhausted and in pain.

"I've dealt with this kind of thing since before you were born," Cynthia grumbled. "I should be fine in a couple of hours, if I can sleep on the train."

Loke almost laughed. Humans always assumed he was a teenager because that's the form he'd taken for Karen and subsequently gotten stuck in when he was exiled. Most of the time, it was funny, like now. Cynthia thought she was so much older than he, when it was really the other way around. Even Makarov was a child in his eyes. All humans were with their fleeting lives. Knowing where those kinds of thoughts would lead, Loke threw himself back into the conversation.

"We didn't get a sleeper car."

"It won't matter," Cynthia scoffed. "Once a migraine sets in, there's not much that'll keep you from sleeping."

"I thought you said it was aphasia." Loke scowled as he noticed the woman grow a shade or two paler. He'd heard about migraines. They were debilitating headaches some humans were prone to suffering.

"Aphasia is the name of the symptom you noticed earlier," she explained. "It's a difficulty recalling or saying words, and it's one of the warning signs I get when a migraine is coming."

"One?"

Cynthia finished off the large cup of coffee she'd been nursing all this time before letting out a frustrated groan. "Yes, one," she said. A whistle sounded as their train huffed up to the terminal, billowing steam. Cynthia winced and shuddered. "My migraines tend to sit in or around Brocha's area," she explained pointing to a spot on the right side of her head, "so I get all sorts of language problems sometimes starting days before the pain sets in."

She pointed to her shades. "Then there's sensitivity to light, sound, and smells," she continued. "Sometimes I'll see bright spots, twinkle lights, or shadows. Sometimes I lose the ability to make my eyes focus." She shrugged. "I've heard about others losing the ability to use their limbs or remember things they ought to know, but I've never had that happen."

Passengers began disembarking from the train, and they stepped aside out of their way.

"This has been happening for years?" Loke was appalled. He'd heard about the pain migraines were supposed to inflict, but he couldn't imagine some of the things she'd described. How was she functioning if all that was going on right now?

"Since I was...thirteen?" She didn't sound very sure, but she nodded to herself. "So about twenty-two years now, give or take." Cynthia turned to look at him, and she must have seen his unease in his expression because she gave him a reassuring smile. "I used to get them several days a week until I learned my triggers," she said like that made things better. "I avoid the ones I can, so I don't get anywhere near as many anymore."

"It still sounds like you ought to go home," Loke said. The crowd was beginning to thin as the last passengers disembarked. "From what you've described, I don't know you're functioning."

"I...," Cynthia trailed off as her brow furrowed. She tried to start her sentence a couple more times before huffing in irritation. "Thank you for your concern," she said. The expression she wore made it plain that wasn't exactly what she'd wanted to say, and Loke wondered what word she'd been unable to remember. "I don't get them all every time," she continued. "And I have warning sometimes, like this morning. If I can take my medicine and get a big dose of caffeine before the pain sets in, they don't get as bad." She shook the travel mug she still held before tossing the disposable container in one of the large garbage cans.

"So that's why you had the coffee." Loke grinned. "I just thought you weren't a morning person."

Cynthia laughed as the conductor gave their boarding call. Loke motioned for her to lead the way. They climbed onto the train and found a seat. Cynthia tossed the two smaller of her bags onto the bench before stowing the largest one in the overhead compartment. She slid into the seat, and Loke took his turn wedging his luggage above their heads. When he sat down, he noticed she'd pulled the shade down.

"I don't mind mornings," she said. Cynthia removed her shades, hanging them on the collar of her sweater by one of the ear pieces. She picked up the smallest of her bags and pulled out a small, brown jar with a white lid. "I prefer afternoons, but I've never been averse to mornings."

Loke watched as she opened the jar and dipped her finger in to retrieve a tiny dollop of some kind of cream. The sharp smell of lemongrass mixed with eucalyptus and other herbs assailed his nose, and he couldn't help the way it made him twitch. Cynthia covered the jar with its lid as she worked the cream into the back of her neck. She must have noticed his reaction because her expression turned sheepish.

"It's a pain reliever," she explained. "It smells, but it works."

"Where'd you get it?"

"I made it." She opened the little jar again, taking another minuscule dollop before screwing the lid tight once again. She rubbed the cream onto her right temple before spreading it down and behind her ear and up to her hairline. "I didn't like how the others burned or left you sticky, so I figured out how to make my own."

Watching her expression ease, Loke could see she was telling the truth. Her shoulders relaxed a bit, and her brow smoothed. Was this the medicine she'd spoken about earlier? It was faded, but she'd smelled of it at the ticket counter.

Cynthia tucked the jar back into the smallest bag before closing it and setting it aside. She shifted and slipped her hand into her pocket. When she pulled her hand back out, she was holding her train ticket. She held it out to him.

"I'm going to try and fall asleep while the cream's taking the edge off," she said. "Could you give the conductor my ticket if he comes by while I'm out?"

Loke nodded his agreement and took her ticket. Cynthia thanked him and shifted to make herself more comfortable. She turned sideways on the bench opposite him and brought her legs up, tucking herself into the corner where bench met the outer wall of the train. Her bags were squashed between her hips and the wall, supporting her lower back. She leaned her head against the back of the bench and closed her eyes.

He didn't know whether to be flattered by the trust she seemed to place in him or appalled at her stupidity, letting herself fall asleep in such a public place.

* * *

Cynthia slept the first four hours of their trip. Loke had debated about waking her up when they came to their first stop, so she could purchase lunch. The point turned out to be moot. Apparently a light sleeper, she woke as soon as the train began slowing. Loke watched her stretch and wondered if she'd really slept through the conductor's visit to collect tickets or not. The thought she had played opossum irked him, but seeing how much the rest seemed to have helped her, he decided it didn't matter.

They bought bagged lunches off the woman who came around to the windows. Loke caught sight of several small pictures within her wallet when Cynthia dug through it for her money. He asked about them as they ate.

Cynthia retrieved her wallet and showed him the images tucked inside after they finished the meal.

"They're old pictures," she said. Her eyes were downcast and carried a sad glint in them. "We got out of the habit of printing them off, so most of these are six or seven years out-of-date." She sounded disgusted with herself as she flipped through the little booklet.

The first picture was of a young couple. The man had close cropped, dark hair and bright blue eyes. He had a pair of glasses sitting atop a thin, straight nose and a bright smile. The woman leaning against his back was clearly a younger version of Cynthia. She was years younger and much thinner, but her eyes and nose were the same.

"That's Lee and me right about the time we got engaged," she said. "And that was a couple of years later, at our wedding." She pointed to another picture of the same couple, this time dressed to the nines and surrounded by their wedding party.

Cynthia flipped the page, and Loke found himself looking at a pair of baby pictures. The infants looked similar, but he could tell they weren't the same child. "That's our eldest niece as a baby," she said, pointing to one. "And that's our eldest, Riley, as a baby." Her smile turned sad. "She's ten now." She cleared her throat and flipped the page again.

The first picture here showed a toddler. The little girl had big blue eyes and curly brown hair down to her shoulders. She clasped chubby hands and grinned in obvious joy, showing off six shining teeth in a gap toothed smile. Cindy pointed to the picture and said, "That's our youngest, Sarah, just before she turned two." She pointed to the last one, "And that's all of us out on the porch right after Riley's third birthday party."

That final image made Loke's heart clench. The Cynthia in the picture looked more like the one sitting across from him now. She was about the same size as she was now. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun as she normally wore it, and she bounced a chubby infant on her knee. A small girl in a bright pink dress sat beside them. The little girl squinted against the sun, and her wispy hair blew in the wind. The man, Cynthia called Lee, sat on the top step. You could tell he wasn't a big man in this picture. His shoulders were broad, but he didn't look particularly tall. His hair had started to thin, and there were a few laugh lines forming around his eyes. He rested one hand on Cynthia's shoulder, and he looked at the other three with an expression dripping with pride and love.

"Why aren't you with them?" Loke asked. Jealousy and the anger that came with it added a sharpness to his tone. He'd give anything to be reunited with his family, and here she was starting a new life away from hers by choice.

"I take it no one's told you how I came to Fairy Tail."

"Gray said there was an accident, and it made your magic unstable."

Cynthia scoffed and shook her head. "In a matter of speaking, but that's not the half of it." She closed her wallet and tucked it back into her purse. "It's a long story."

"We have another six hours at least before we reach Akane."

"Alright then." Cynthia sighed and reached for the mid-sized bag. "But I'm going to get to work on something as I tell it now that the migraine's faded."

Loke watched as she pulled a hook and the end of a ball of yarn from the bag. She knotted the yarn around the end of the hook and began looping the strand upon itself to make a chain. Cynthia launched into her story as she worked. Loke began to feel more and more like a heel as she went on, calmly relating how she came to be trapped in a world separate from her own as she began working in the opposite direction, stitching into the long chain she'd made.

"I'm sorry," he said when she finished her story.

Cynthia shrugged. "You didn't know." She reached the end of the row she was working on and turned her work before looking up at him. Her hands didn't stop as she asked, "So what made you decide to join the guild?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The convention mentioned in this chapter is a real one. I happened to be resting up for it today, which is how I was able to get this chapter written, so I thought it'd be neat to slip its name in here. It's my last "full length" convention of the year, and I almost always end up with con crud, a convention hangover, or both afterwards. (Convention hangover is my term for the funk you can fall into after a convention's over plus the exhaustion of putting on an extrovert mask to deal with/hide social anxiety for several days.) Since I'm going to be working insane hours tonight through Sunday evening, I thought I'd go ahead and post this weekend's chapter. Whether or not I post next week will depend on how NerdCon, and its aftermath, goes and whether or not I hurt myself during load in and tear down again.
> 
> There are actual reasons I've made Cynthia something of a mix mash of venders I've met over the years that'll be explained to some degree in the next chapter with some of the other reasons popping up later in the story.


	9. Arriving at Akane

The rest of the trip passed pleasantly enough. Cindy wasn't sure she bought the story Loke told her. Something didn't ring true about it, just like his name. She'd dismiss it if it weren't for the persistent sense the teen wasn't being honest. The names in this world were an odd mix of familiar and foreign, so she supposed Loke could be a common name unconnected to a mythological trickster god here. But she'd always trusted her gut feeling about people, and she'd had reason to put even more stock in it since coming to Earthland.

Still, she didn't read any sort of malicious intent from him. Loke gave off more of an aura of sadness mingled with boredom than anything else despite the act he put on. Cindy kept her suspicions to herself. If he was that intent on hiding behind a mask, chances were he was either hiding from something or trying to suppress it, and truth be told, Loke didn't know her from Eve. He had no reason to trust her aside from guild loyalty, and trying to pry would do nothing but make him clam up more.

They gathered their bags and disembarked at Akane station a few minutes after six in the evening. It was a good deal warmer here than it'd been in Magnolia early that morning, and Cindy estimated they still had an hour or two before sunset. She pushed up the sleeves of the oversized sweater Mira had given her after overhearing her mutter about being cold that first week, but they just fell right back down.

Loke led the way toward the resort where they'd be working since, according to the story he'd told her on the train, he'd been there sometime before joining the guild. Cindy followed, but she paid close attention to the area they passed through in case he turned out not to know as much as he claimed.

Akane seemed to be around the same size as Magnolia and twice as busy. They passed through a bustling marketplace filled with stalls set up by the local hawkers. Shoppers milled around, looking at the wares available, and street performers played toward the edges of the market. Cindy smiled even as a pang of homesickness ricocheted in her chest. It reminded her of the larger farmer's markets and outdoor craft shows back home. If the wizarding thing didn't work out, and she was unable to find a way back home, maybe she could return to hawking someplace like this to keep herself from starving on the street.

Cindy started catching hints of brine in the air as they reached the far side of the marketplace. Considering the resort they were looking for was known for being beachside, she took this as a good sign. Her bags slipped, and she hitched them back up onto her shoulder as she continued to follow Loke through the town.

The joint ground in the socket, and her former sensei's warning to not depend upon one arm to do all the lifting and carrying echoed in her head. What she wouldn't give to be able to go back and convince her teenaged self to listen! Not that it would have changed the fact she had a hard time holding anything heavy with her other arm for more than a few minutes, but maybe she could have mitigated the damage.

They topped a hill, and a large complex with "Akane Beach Resort" written in huge, red letters came into their view. Cindy smiled in relief. It'd been a long day, and she was looking forward to a hot shower and bed. Loke pulled the job request out of his pocket as they made their way down the hill and looked through for the name of the client.

Cool air washed over them as they entered the resort's lobby. Loke caught the attention of the young lady working the front desk with ease and asked where they could find Mr. Renard's office. Cindy rolled her eyes, annoyed at the delay, as the two flirted for a bit while directions were given. She supposed she should be thankful Loke was at least smooth enough to avoid the hemming and hawing and awkward pauses younger teens were prone to, despite the cheese factor of some of the lines he used.

Giving the girl her thanks once she finished giving them directions, Cindy took the lead. She stalked off down the indicated hallway with a grumbled, "Come on," tossed over her shoulder.

Loke said something to the girl at the counter and trotted to catch up.

Cindy turned right at the end of the hall. The teen walking with her didn't say anything, but she could feel him watching her. He radiated an odd combination of irritation and amusement, and the feeling she was being laughed at grated on her nerves. She adjusted the straps of her bags over her shoulder again, gripping them harder than necessary.

"This should be it," she said when they came to the fifth door on the left.

Loke knocked, and a man's voice called for them to enter. Cindy stepped back to allow Loke to take the lead since he had the job request. He opened the door, and they both walked in.

The office was simple and rather plain except for the shelves of books lining the back wall. Papers littered the desk where a portly gentleman sat. He was scribbling notes in a ledger and barely spared them a glance when they came in. Loke and Cindy waited as he finished his train of thought.

"More mages, I take it?" The man, Mr. Renard if they'd come to the correct office, looked up at them as he closed the ledger.

"Yes sir," Loke answered. He handed him the job request. "We're from Fairy Tail."

"Ah yes, I received word you'd be arriving yesterday." Mr. Renard began shuffling through the papers on his desk. "Four guilds have responded with small teams," he explained as he found whatever it was he was looking for and plucked it out of a stack. "You'll be working in shifts throughout the next two weeks while the Nexus Gem is on display. I'll contact you with the schedule midday tomorrow, after the last team arrives."

Cindy and Loke both nodded their understanding.

Mr. Renard looked down at the slip of paper he'd retrieved a moment before. "The message I received from your guild only said two mages would arrive this evening," he said. "I'd like to know your names and the kind of magic you use, so I can better determine how to schedule your shifts."

The question seemed reasonable enough to Cindy given the job request stated the mages were to blend in, but Loke looked a bit taken back. Was this an unusual thing to be asked?

Loke answered when Cindy had just about given up on him saying anything. "My name's Loke, and I specialize in martial arts enhanced by ring magic."

Mr. Renard nodded and made a note on the paper before turning to her.

"Cynthia, and I'm primarily a weather mage." She fidgeted with the straps of her bags, nervous about revealing what she'd come to find out was an oddity. "I have some skill in telepathy magic as well."

Both men looked at her with surprise. Cindy wanted the floor to open up and swallow her.

"I don't believe I've heard of many wizards who use more than one form of magic," Renard said. He made a note even as he watched her with a skeptical and somewhat suspicious expression.

"It's not something many try to do," Cindy agreed. She grimaced. "And I didn't really pursue it," she explained. "Picking up telepathy magic was more a side effect of an experiment gone wrong, but it could be useful for a job like this."

"I suppose it would help coordinate teams," Renard mused.

"My apologies, Mr. Renard," Cindy interrupted. "I'm not very good at linking minds." She felt herself blush. "I'm not sure if I can do it on my own at all, actually. I'm more of a reader." Loke and Renard both paled. Cindy held up her hands and hurried to reassure them. "I've been taught how to shield, and unless I have good reason to scan an area, I keep them up to protect people's privacy," she explained. "I can also cast minor influence grafts within a limited radius."

"Influence grafts?" Renard asked.

"I can't make anyone do something against their will," Cindy explained, "but I can…" She trailed off as she looked for the right word. "Encourage them to follow their better impulses."

"So you could dissuade potential thieves from stealing the gem?" Mr. Renard looked excited at the prospect.

Cindy grimaced again. "Not if they're really determined, no," she said. "At best, it'd prevent the very drunk or foolish from doing something stupid and impulsive."

Mr. Renard chuckled as he started making another note. "Still, useful enough, given where the gem will be on display."

Loke asked where that would be.

"The exhibit will be just off the main floor of the resort's casino," Renard explained. "What's your range?"

Cindy shrugged. "I'm not sure yet," she said. "It's a relatively new development. I can tell you the testing grounds I've used to train is about twice the size of your lobby."

Renard nodded to himself as he continued making notes. Once finished, he rolled his chair back a foot or so and reached into one of his desk's drawers. He pulled out a set of room keys and held them out. Loke and Cindy each took one.

"Room and board is included in the pay," Renard explained. He pulled an envelope out of the drawer and handed that over to Loke as well. "I put you in room 243. The rest of the details, including meal times and the like, are in there. Your shifts will be given to you tomorrow at lunch."

* * *

Loke found himself casting wary glances at Cynthia as they made their way up to the room they'd been assigned. A mage utilizing two or more kinds of magic was unusual but not unheard of these days. It'd been more common back in the early years when humans were just sussing out how to harness the potential of their abilities. The practice lost popularity in favor of specialization as each branch became more complicated, but an ambitious few still cross studied. He wondered what caused her to split her studies even as he worried she'd notice he wasn't what he seemed.

Cynthia's pace picked up once they reached the second story, and Loke soon found himself trailing a few steps behind her. She hitched her bags higher on her shoulder again and rolled her neck. He winced to hear a couple distinct pops as she did so.

Their room lay about a third of the way down the hall, and Cynthia wasted no time unlocking the door. Inside lay a standard, two bed hotel room. The furnishings were basic and sparse, and the view out the window consisted of the street in front of the resort. It was obvious they'd been given one of the cheapest rooms in the resort, but it was clean.

"You have a preference for one bed or the other?" Cynthia asked. She set her bags down beside a small table with two chairs situated on the far end of the room.

"Not particularly," he answered. "You?" He dropped his duffel on the end of the bed closest to the door when she shook her head. "Guess I'll take this one then."

Cindy nodded and turned her attention to her own pack. Loke decided to look at the information they'd been given before unpacking. It was late, and he was hungry. Meals were included in their pay, and he hoped that included tonight's dinner. Scanning through, he was pleased to find a few vouchers for the resort's built in restaurant. Apparently Mr. Renard took the vagaries of travel into consideration for his contracted help because the scheduled meals didn't start until tomorrow evening.

"We have vouchers for the restaurant downstairs," he said. Loke waved the items with a grin. "Looks like dinner's on them."

Cynthia finished pulling whatever it was that held her hair up and dropped it onto her bedside table. "You go ahead." Fatigue colored her voice, and her carriage drooped. Cynthia ran her fingers through her her hair unraveling the tight twist into a riotous cloud of fat waves. "After sitting so long and dealing with a mild migraine today, a hot shower's calling my name."

Loke frowned. He hated eating alone, but at the same time, she did look about ready to drop. "If you're sure."

She nodded and returned to unpacking her bags. Still frowning, Loke dropped most of the vouchers back onto his bed and left the room, making sure he had his key and locking the door as he left.

Thoughts of his teammate nagged at the back of his mind as he made his way back downstairs toward the resort's restaurant. After her lack of reaction to his girlfriends' visits, he hadn't paid Cynthia much attention. The woman was quiet and rather drab, and aside from a few guild members she'd befriended, she seemed to keep to herself. The guild seemed a bit quieter lately, and he craved distraction. Otherwise Karen's ghost haunted him, and the residual pain of his life-force draining became impossible to ignore. So, it's not like he was there much anymore, preferring to spend his time out with his girls or working jobs instead of sitting around nursing booze he didn't care for much anyway.

Then he'd gone and suggested they team up. He thought he'd gotten a second chance to have the guild's new mother hen focus on him for a bit, and he wasn't too proud to admit the thought of someone fussing over him, comforting him as a mother would, was tempting. As nice as romantic attachments were, they were nothing new to him. He'd taken, and subsequently lost, many lovers over the centuries, so it was little wonder just one wasn't enough to keep him distracted now. Novel experiences were rare, precious things when you lived for millennia, and celestial spirits didn't have parents. He never suspected he'd find someone in a situation so close to his own, and yet.

Now that he knew, Cynthia's behavior made a worrisome kind of sense. He'd been the same in the months before he joined Fairy Tail; keeping to himself, barely eating, and only sleeping when he passed out from exhaustion. They'd been on that train for eleven hours, and she'd had nothing but the over-sized coffee, a sandwich, and some water.

Loke decided he'd see if the restaurant packed orders for take out. Whether or not she noticed it, Cynthia had to be hungry. Besides, he had questions, and humans always seemed more apt to talk over a meal or drinks. This conversation would be better held in the privacy of their room anyway.

Almost half an hour later, Loke stood in front of their room's door with a bag and a tray of drinks in hand. He shifted them around where he could knock, hoping Cynthia had finished with her shower because he wasn't sure how he'd unlock the door with both hands full. Loke grinned to hear footsteps followed by the latch being thrown.

Cynthia's eyes shifted from wary to surprised when she opened the door. She was fresh faced and dressed in one of the fluffy bathrobes some hotels had in the rooms thrown over flannel pajamas. Her hair hung heavy and damp down past her shoulders, and the lingering scent of lemongrass and eucalyptus was gone, replaced with the freshness of soap and lavender. She pulled her robe tight and belted it as she stepped back from the door.

"I thought you might feel hungry after your shower, so I brought dinner back here," Loke said as he walked into the room. He heard Cynthia close and lock the door as he sat the bag and tray down on the little table in front of the window. He began emptying the bag of its containers. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got as much of a variety as I could."

Cynthia chewed on her bottom lip, looking uncomfortable when she joined him. "That's sweet of you," she said. Her tone was an odd mix of grateful and reluctant with a hint of irritation thrown in, but she sat down at the little table nonetheless.

"It seemed late for coffee, so I got you tea," he said and handed her one of the cups. "Do you like tea?"

A genuine smile brightened her expression as she accepted the cup, and she laughed. "I do," she said. "Thank you."

Loke unpacked the last container and took the other chair. They opened each container in silence. They were filled with a variety of mains and sides. Cynthia chose one filled with a bunch of roasted vegetables, and he couldn't resist the beef and noodles. Loke tucked in, but Cynthia just picked at hers. She shot him furtive glances every now and again, and she started rocking almost imperceptibly, discomfort radiating off her. He pretended not to notice.

"What made you decide to split your studies?" he asked when the atmosphere grew too awkward for him to stand.

"I didn't," Cynthia answered. She pushed a bit of broccoli around with her utensil. "It's just kind of how my magic developed."

"Really?" Loke cocked his head to the side as he considered her. "That's odd. Aside from a few mages born into particular lines, everyone chooses their branch."

She shrugged. "I never chose to become a mage at all," she said. "From what I've gathered after speaking with Porlyusica, Master Makarov, and the others in the guild who have been helping me, whatever it was that adapted me to this world must have interpreted certain ideas I've been playing with as magic training." She continued to pick at the vegetables without eating. "It's all guesswork, but it's the only thing that explains the psychic stuff combined with weather magic."

"So you were playing with those things back home?" Loke asked. "I thought you said there was no magic back in Terra."

"Just in stories," Cynthia agreed with a shake of her head.

"Then how?"

"Writing." Cynthia blushed and looked down into the quickly cooling container of roasted vegetables like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "I've been writing books and stories about characters with superhuman abilities since I was little."

She finally nabbed a few of the abused vegetables and ate them. Loke got the distinct impression she did it more to have an excuse to stop talking than because she wanted to eat, but he felt the knot of concern that'd formed in his chest relax a hair anyway. He hadn't noticed it before, but the shadows cast by her hair when it was down served to highlight the change in her face. It was subtle, but she'd lost a bit of weight since he'd first met her several weeks back. Cynthia was still beyond what was considered plump, but after what he'd learned today, the rapid change combined with her reluctance to eat had him worried.

"You're an author?"

Cynthia grimaced. "Technically speaking." She jabbed at her food and frowned. "I have a few books out there, not that anyone cares." Huffing, she looked up and gave him a rueful grin. "I picked up crochet to have something else to sell at my table during conventions, but even then..." She resumed her study of her food as she trailed off. "I'm really just an office administrator."

"A what?" he asked.

"Someone who answers calls, keeps the books balanced, files, and does most everything else needed to keep an office running smoothly," Cynthia explained. "Writing's fun an all, but you've got to have a way to support the habit. Otherwise you starve unless you're one of the lucky few."

"Ah, I see." Loke nodded and finished off his noodles. He searched through the remaining containers, finally picking out one containing bits of fried fish. "So you wrote about a weather mage and a telepath?"

"In a manner of speaking," Cynthia agreed. "It's a bit more complicated than that, at least in the stories. My magic seems to be related to how much I focused on describing the use of each ability from the character's point-of-view. That's why the weather magic is the strongest. Then comes empathy, the telepathic skills, and then some _very_ weak telekinesis."

"Telekinesis?"

"Moving things with your mind."

Loke about choked on a bite of fish. "You can do that?"

Cynthia frowned. "Eh, I can shove something a few inches or so is about it," she said. "When I say weak, I mean pathetic."

Loke nodded. He mulled over what he'd learned as he ate his fish. He wanted to ask more about her telepathy magic, but Cynthia must have been tired of talking about herself because she turned the tables on him.

"So you're a martial arts expert?" she asked.

"Yeah," he agreed once he swallowed the bite he'd taken. "I've always been good at hand-to-hand." He lifted his right hand and showed her the rings he wore. "These add a bit more umph when I need it."

"What kind of style?" Cynthia watched him with what looked like genuine interest as she finished her vegetables.

"A mix," Loke answered with a shrug.

Cynthia set her container aside. She rubbed her left thumb over the back of the right's largest knuckle and contemplated her cup of tea. Catching her lower lip in her teeth again, she worried it for a moment before turning her attention to him again.

"What would you say about sparring with a rusty, old woman in the morning?" she asked.

"You?" Loke's eyebrows raised in surprise. She didn't look like one that'd be interested in fighting up close and personal.

Cynthia nodded. "I studied for a few years back when I was about your age," she said. "I gave it up when I got older. It's not a skill that's really needed back home, and with a job and husband and kids, it wasn't a hobby Lee or I had time for after college." She took a sip of her tea. "Earthland seems to be the opposite, at least for wizards, so I figure I need to return to training."

"How long's it been?" Combat was one of those things Loke sprang into being knowing. It's what he was created to do, not something he studied. He had no idea how he was supposed to teach someone.

Sighing and leaning back in her chair, Cynthia's eyes lost focus as she tried to remember. "Thirteen or fourteen years?" She shrugged. "I can't really remember, but I know it was somewhere between when Lee and I got engaged and when we were married."

"That's rusty, alright."

Cynthia rolled her eyes and made a sound reminiscent of an irritated growl. "Which is why I'm not asking Natsu, Erza, or Gray for help," she grumbled. "They're good, but those three seem morally opposed to pulling a punch for any reason." She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know my limits. If hand-to-hand is your specialty, I figured you'd have enough control to help someone get back up to speed without putting them in the infirmary."

She made a good point. Natsu, Erza, and Gray were good fighters, but they'd make horrible teachers. Would he be any better though? He almost never held back. There'd been a few times he tried since being exiled, all in the brawls that seemed to break out all the time back at the guild. But sparing with someone that out-of-practice was a far cry from dueling with a group of powerful wizards.

"That's okay," she said. A blush stained her cheeks, and she fidgeted with her cup. "I can always ask Freed or Elfman when we get back."

"No, I'll help you," Loke said upon realizing she'd taken his hesitation as rejection. "Elfman would be as bad the others anyway."

"Really?" Cynthia's head tilted a bit, and her brow furrowed. "He struck me as a gentle giant under all that bravado." She looked down at her cup and smiled. "He reminds me a lot of Lee's sensei in a way. He's a huge, wall of a man. Irritating as they come with his warped sense of humor, but sweet, protective, and a surprisingly good educator for one so large and gruff."

Loke didn't know what to make of the comparison, so he decided to ignore it. "You've met the Thunder Legion?" he asked instead.

Cynthia chuckled. "Oh yeah." She finished off her tea and set the cup aside. "Master Makarov tried to get Laxus to help me with the lightning thing." She rolled her eyes. "That didn't go well. Freed was the only one in that group I could stand and probably the only reason I didn't come out of that meeting fried to a crisp."

"That bad?"

"I've dealt with too many big headed on-air personalities to kowtow to an arrogant, spoiled brat," Cynthia explained. "Laxus didn't take too kindly to someone like me refusing to kiss his boots, so to speak."

Loke wasn't sure what she meant by "on-air personalities" but decided against asking for clarification yet again. He understood enough to get the gist of what she was saying, and he could guess how Makarov's grandson would react to someone standing up to him. He wasn't sure if doing so was brave or foolhardy of her. Probably both, and with this revelation, he could finally see the resemblance between her and Natsu.

"Why didn't you use your…" he trailed off trying to think of the phrase she used, "impulse graft on him?"

Loke looked over the last two containers. One held a fruit salad, and the other contained grilled chicken seasoned with local herbs. He'd already had most of the mains, so he took the fruit and pushed the container of chicken toward Cynthia. He couldn't quite read her expression, but she accepted the container and retrieved her utensil.

"I didn't know how yet," she answered. She shrugged and picked at the chicken. "I'd only just started lessons with Warren, and we were focusing on building shields."

"But you've been experimenting?" Loke watched her shift in her seat. Her body language scream discomfort, but he pressed on anyway. "Is that why the guildhall's been quieter the past few weeks."

Cynthia curled in on herself a bit, and a red tinge colored her cheeks and the tips of her ears. "Maybe."

"You've been using the guild members as lab rats?" Loke wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"It's not like I meant to," Cynthia yelped. She grimaced and shrank in on herself again. "At least not at first." She picked at her chicken again. "That's why Warren focused on teaching me to shield the first few weeks, so I'd stop projecting all the time as well as soaking up everyone's emotions like a sponge."

Loke's eyes narrowed as he considered the woman sitting across from him. "When you said you were a reader, were you talking about emotions or thoughts?"

Cynthia's shoulders relaxed a touch, and the thought she was reacting to his shift in emotion crossed Loke's mind.

"Emotion," she answered. "My magic runs much more on the empathy side of the scale. I've never been able to initiate telepathic communication without Warren's help."

The knot of worry that'd sat in his gut since he'd learned of her telepathy magic released, and Loke relaxed. As he calmed, Cynthia's body language eased, and she finally began eating the chicken he'd pushed toward her. He finished off the fruit salad and gathered the empty containers back in the bag. Seeing she was still uncomfortable about something, Loke reached out and gave her arm a light squeeze. She looked up at him with surprise and a bit of fear warring in her eyes.

"Sorry about the interrogation," he offered with a sheepish smile and released her arm. "What you told Mr. Renard surprised me, and surprises aren't a good thing in the field. I didn't mean to grill you, but I guess I kind of did, huh?"

Cynthia shrugged and gave him a genuine smile. "It's okay," she said. "I would have done the same in your place."


	10. Skills Testing

Loke was gone when Cindy woke the next morning. She stretched and looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It read ten til six, so she hadn't overslept unless it was evening or the clock was wrong. Remembering what he'd said about her not being a morning person yesterday, Cindy concluded Loke must be an early riser. Still, she wondered where he would have gone.

She decided it didn't matter for the moment. Surely he'd return before long, or she'd go track him down. Cindy got up and retrieved her toiletry bag as well as a pair of loose cotton pants, t-shirt, and a sports bra she'd packed to work out in. Then she looked on her bedside table to find the hair elastic and scrunchie she'd dropped there yesterday, and she found a note laying beside them.

"Went to grab breakfast for us. Back in a bit," she read. Chuckling, Cindy walked into the bathroom to get changed before the teenager returned. "Please let him bring back something other than just bacon and carbs," she murmured to herself.

She'd changed and was in the middle of pulling her hair up when she heard the main door unlock. Cindy had twisted the ponytail, wrapped it into a coil, and secured it with the old scrunchie by the time she heard the rustling of a paper bag. She picked up the pajamas she'd folded as she changed earlier and went back out into the main room.

"Morning," Loke greeted her with a glance up from the bag he was unpacking. "I hope you like pancakes and eggs."

"I do," Cindy answered. She put her night clothes away in the dresser and joined him at the little table. "You were up early."

Loke shrugged and finished unpacking a couple identical breakfasts from the bag. "I don't sleep much."

After being around as many teenagers as she had and hearing Lee talk about his students, that statement sent up red flags in Cindy's mind. But lots of things can cause insomnia, even in growing teens, so she didn't comment.

He handed her an envelope. "This was waiting for you outside," he said.

Cindy thanked him and took the envelope. She opened it as she sat down. Upon reading the first line, she was thankful it was a mundane missive instead of one of the magical ones she'd seen while working for Makarov.

_Why the hell did you run off on a job with that womanizer? I thought you'd team up with me and Happy once Gramps cleared you to take a job off the board. But we got home, and you were gone with nothing but a note stuck to the fridge!_

_Are you okay, Aunt Cindy? Do you want me and Happy to come help?_

Cindy groaned. She was afraid something like this would happen when she'd gotten roped into leaving on a job while her boys were out-of-town. She'd left a note for them and asked both Makarov and Mirajane to keep them from tearing off after her when they got home.

"What's wrong?" Loke asked.

"When we left, Natsu and Happy we're out on the first long haul job they've taken since I arrived," she explained. "Natsu's not pleased I teamed up with anyone but him and Happy or that I left while they were gone."

Loke winced. Cindy refolded the letter and set it aside while she ate. She'd write a response after breakfast and send it back when they went downstairs.

"So, what's your relationship with Natsu anyway?"

"Complicated," Cindy answered. She ate a bite or two of her eggs as she thought about how to explain. "According to his senses and Porlyusica's tests, I'm the alternate of a relative of his. He has no family, and I'm separated from mine. So we've kind of adopted one another."

"So when he calls you Aunt Cindy…"

Cindy shrugged. "He reminds me of my baby brother." She sipped her coffee, relishing the warmth and feeling herself wake up by degrees. "I half raised Will and spent a big chunk of my childhood looking after our younger cousins and the children of our parents' friends. The roles of older sister, aunt, and mother have always been kind of mixed up in my head because of that." She wiggled her fingers toward the side of her head, miming her brains being scrambled. "In the end, does it really matter?"

"I suppose not," Loke murmured. His focus dropped to the food on his plate, and he ate with deliberate determination.

Cindy was taken aback by the wave of sorrow tinged with jealousy that hit her. She focused on finishing her own breakfast and mulled over Loke's responses with a frown. This conversation made one thing clear, whatever he was hiding had to do with his family. Her heart ached for yet another orphan in the guild.

They finished their meal in uncomfortable silence and cleared the debris away. Loke mentioned a gym he'd found downstairs on the opposite side the of the resort, and they decided it would work for training sessions while they were in Akane, provided they could find times when it was unoccupied. Cindy wanted to write a response to Natsu, so she could drop it by the front desk to be mailed on their way through. Loke nodded when she told him as much, and he ducked into the bathroom to give her a bit of privacy and to attend to his own morning routine.

_Don't you take that tone with me, Natsu Dragneel! Have a little faith in your Auntie. How helpless do you think I am?_

_I arrived whole and healthy yesterday evening, and so far, all is well. Loke and I are one of four teams that will be guarding the exhibit. I'm sure we'll do just fine, and Mr. Renard seems to have built back up into his plans. I appreciate your offer of help, but I think your power would be overkill for this job._

_I didn't mean to worry you, Natsu, and I apologize for the way I left. It was a last minute thing, and I'll try my best for it not to happen again._

_You and Happy behave yourselves and keep the hut in decent order while I'm gone. I'll write as often as I can, and I should be home in fifteen days or so._

Cindy folded the slip of paper back up and resealed it. She rummaged through her purse for the all purpose eraser she'd picked up back in Magnolia. It was supposed to clear any kind of writing without damaging the surface of even the most delicate paper, and she was pleased to see the marketing was true. Natsu's scrawl disappeared, and she was able to readdress the envelope. Talk about recycling!

* * *

They made it to the gym just before seven. A couple people were busy using some of the equipment in the main room, but the smaller classrooms off to the side were empty. Loke had checked the posted class schedule when he came by earlier, and the first class wasn't supposed to start for another three hours. They picked one of the rooms and started stretching out.

Cynthia took up a wide stance before bending at the waist and letting her arms hang loose. She bounced a bit, going lower with each move as if she was trying to touch her elbows to the floor. Loke started with neck rolls and shoulder stretches.

"So what's typical procedure for sparing here in Earthland?" she asked. Cynthia bent her left knee, dropping into a deep side lunge.

"What do you mean?" He swapped arms.

Cynthia switched sides. "Magic or no magic? Are there any particular moves that are out of bounds? Can you tap out? Those kinds of things." She stood up for a second before sitting down. She crossed one leg over the other before twisting her back and using an elbow braced against the opposite knee to deepen the stretch.

"The dojos where Lee and I studied had big differences in how they handled sparing, and those were the same style, in the same world," she said. "I want to know what to expect."

Not feeling the need to keep stretching, Loke stopped and considered her question as Cynthia pulled her arm across her chest to stretch the shoulder. He shrugged after a bit. "I'm not sure," he said. "I've been in brawls, a couple friendly duels, and all out fights. Sparing is not something I've done much." He looked around the small room, seeing Cynthia swap arms out of the corner of his eye. "Given the space we have and you wanting to focus on hand-to-hand, using magic might not be the best idea."

"Agreed." Cynthia must have finished stretching because she stopped and shook out her limbs. "Pull strikes? If it's timing and technique we're working on, a light tap's enough to know one landed. No sense beating one another to a pulp for practice, and we don't have pads."

"Do you know any throws?" Loke asked. He gestured to a few mats folded up in a corner.

Cynthia nodded. "We focused mostly on escapes and joint locks, but yeah, I know a couple and how to take a fall." She grinned. "That's one reason I asked about tapping out. There's a wide range of responses to those, and joints are easy to injure if you push too far."

Loke agreed. "What do you mean by tapping out?" He walked over to the corner with the mats and began pulling one out.

"Just what it sounds like," she answered as she joined him to help. "You tap something a couple of times to signal you've had enough. It's a sign for your opponent to let you go or to halt the match to prevent or treat injuries."

They laid out the first mat and went to get another to give themselves plenty of room to maneuver. Loke agreed such a thing sounded like a good idea for use in training. Other more pigheaded mages might not think so, but he figured lessons might stick better if the student didn't end up unconscious or in the infirmary at the end of them. They finished laying out the mats before kicking off their shoes.

Loke was the first to take his place on the mats. "We'll start slow," he said. "See what you remember and get good and warmed up."

Cynthia nodded as she tucked her socks into her shoes. She trotted over to take her place across from him. The respectful bow she gave him was a surprise. Guessing it was something from her culture, Loke returned the gesture, and they both dropped into ready stances. His was much more relaxed than hers. The way Cynthia dropped back into a bent kneed stance and raised her fists was all regimented angles. He kept his expression impassive, but internally he was frowning. That kind of tension would make her slow.

He threw a punch aimed at her nose. It wasn't the best place to strike, but he wanted to see if she'd block or follow typical instinct to flench back. She blocked, twisting her wrist at the point of contact. The torque generated sent his arm a few inches farther than the block alone would have managed. It was the combination that surprised him. Cynthia didn't rear back to throw punches like a lot of the wizards he knew. It came straight from where she'd held her hands toward her center, originating within a split second of her block. He felt her knuckles tap his solar plexus as her other hand wrapped around his wrist.

She maneuvered to step under the arm she'd grabbed. Loke recovered from the surprise brought on by the woman's unexpected speed, and he twisted his wrist out of her grasp. She responded by wrenching herself around and pushing with her forward foot to put a bit more space between them as she regrouped.

He reevaluated his estimation of her speed. Cynthia wasn't overly fast, but she'd been taught to jab from her center mass using torque instead of momentum to power her attacks. He grinned as he rounded on her and kicked low. That kind of style would serve someone of Cynthia's height and age well if he could help her get back up to speed.

Cynthia dodged the kick and threw one of her own toward his hip. Anticipating this, Loke caught her ankle and pulled up. Instead of fighting the move, Cynthia allowed herself to fall. Once she'd hit the mat, the foot that'd been holding her before kicked out as she yanked the ankle he'd grabbed back toward herself. The arch of her free foot caught Loke's shin right above his foot as she pulled him off balance. Once again, the combination surprised him, and he released her ankle as he stumbled to regain his footing. She'd twisted away and was getting up by the time he'd caught himself.

"Not as rusty as you said," Loke said.

Cynthia shrugged and smirked. "I never said Lee and I didn't spar for fun now and again," she said.

Loke felt his face go hot as he blushed at the implications. Cynthia took advantage of his distraction to try and foot sweep him again. He pulled his leg back but held his ground. The move brought her in close, and he used the proximity to catch her with a combination. One fist tapped her solar plexus, and the second caught her under the chin before she was able to jump back again. It was her turn to blush now.

"Of course, it's been years since I've spared up to speed," she said and cleared her throat. "Mostly Lee and I would walk through fight scenes when I'd get stuck writing them."

"Real fights aren't scripted."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "I know."

She lunged forward, aiming the heels of both hands toward his sternum. Loke slid to the side as he dodged away. The move placed him directly behind her. He planted his feet and wrapped both of his arms under hers. He bent his elbows and clasped his hands behind her head. It was a move meant to control an opponent because resistance would place strain on their neck.

Cynthia allowed her legs to fall out from under herself. Her arms came up, and the backs of her hands smacked him lightly in the face as she slid out of his hold. He was still blinking in surprise as she twisted around. Cynthia pushed her shoulder into his knee while pulling his ankle in. Loke fell back onto the mat before he could really process what happened.

She sprang back into a standing position instead of using her forward momentum to try and pin him. Instead she offered him a hand up. He contemplated using the offered hand to pull her down but thought better of it. There was something off in her grip when he accepted the help up, but he couldn't place what it was.

"You know, the last guy who worked on that escape with me got head butted in the crotch," she said with a grin. Cynthia giggled. "Of course, that's because he was trying to put me into another hold when I turned to take him down."

Loke winced, suddenly glad he had been too shocked by the move to do the same. "Why didn't you press your advantage once you had me down?" he asked.

"I'm at a disadvantage when grappling," Cynthia answered. "Most of my strength is in my legs, and my grip's pathetic anymore. I know how to fight back if I get thrown down, but I'm going to take any opportunity I can to get back to my feet." She shrugged. "Besides, take 'em down and get gone is what I was trained to do. Self-defense over capture."

"That's going to be a problem with a lot of the jobs we get thrown."

Cynthia winced. "I know."

"Next time you have the upper hand, you'd better make use of it," he warned her.

She gave him a mock salute. "Aye sir!"

"Don't do that," he grumbled with a shudder, but the effect was ruined when he couldn't keep from grinning.

Cynthia chuckled and nodded, dropping her guard. Loke decided now would be an opportune time to illustrate his point. He swept her feet out from under her, and he pounced before she'd even hit the ground. Half a second later he'd straddled her hips and pinned her wrists above her head. The flash of pain in her eyes made him feel bad about the move, but her response was immediate. She used the leg strength she'd mentioned before to push her hips up with a hard shove, and his grip loosened just enough for her to free her wrists. The next thing Loke knew, there was a burning pull against his scalp and it felt like she was trying to rip a muscle out from under his opposite arm. She shoved him the same direction she pulled his hair, and he followed her movement on instinct.

As soon as she was free, Cynthia rolled away and sprang back to her feet. She didn't offer him a hand up this time. No, she moved forward, aiming a kick at his ribs. Loke rolled until he could get his feet under himself, dodging the kick as he did. He got up just in time to block a punch Cynthia threw toward his jaw.

She'd been doing well enough Loke decided he could kick it up a notch, so he grabbed the wrist of the arm he'd just deflected. He slipped under Cynthia's left arm, locking the elbow before he twisted around and pulled up. Cynthia grunted at the same time a pop reverberated up her arm, and she threw herself into the throw. Loke released her wrist like it'd caught fire, and Cynthia rolled to a stop. She tapped the mat twice instead of getting to her feet.

Loke felt sick. Her arm hung from the shoulder in a way it shouldn't, and he'd felt it jar. So he was almost certain he'd dislocated her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized as he dashed over and dropped down in front of her. "We need to get you to a healer. I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have…"

"Breathe, Loke," Cynthia said grasping his arm with her right hand and squeezing. "It's not that bad."

"Your shoulder!"

"Has been wrecked for years." She sighed and let go of his arm. "Don't feel bad. I swear, the rotator cuff's so screwed this shoulder slips out of socket if I sleep on it wrong." Cynthia pushed herself to her feet and used her good arm to brace her injured one. "I know how to snap it back, but I need a hand."

Loke gulped as he stood up as well. "What do you need me to do?"

Cynthia gestured to her left shoulder with her head. "Stabilize the shoulder and give me something to push against." She gave him a rueful grin. "I never got the hang of relaxing the arm and tensing the shoulder while resetting it like Mama does, so I can't quite manage it on my own."

Loke nodded and moved behind Cynthia. He grasped her left shoulder, putting just enough pressure on it to hold it still. He felt the muscles under his fingers go slack. Cynthia held her left elbow, using her good arm to rotate the other up and around to align the joint. Loke felt it catch, and he braced. Cynthia gave the shoulder a good shove, and Loke shuddered at the feel of the joint popping back into place. He let go and took a step back as soon as she let her arms fall back to her side.

"Thank you," she said. Her expression was sheepish when she turned around to face him. "I suppose I should have warned you about that before we got started." Cynthia grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck. "I've gotten so used to it, I forget about it sometimes."

Loke didn't know how to respond to something like that. Celestial spirits can take massive amounts of damage, but once they return to the celestial realm, they heal quickly. After a couple of days, it was like they were never injured at all. Even being stuck here in Earthland, he'd healed up no problem when injured. The thought of someone dealing with an injury so long they forgot they had it boggled his mind.

"Did you say your mother has the same problem?" he asked.

Cynthia nodded. "Lax tendons, or ones that stretch too easily, seem to run in that side of the family." She gave her left arm a few experimental swings. "It increases flexibility, but the trade off is it makes it much easier to damage the joints."

"Maybe you should concentrate on your magic," Loke suggested.

"Perhaps," Cynthia agreed. "But leaving myself without a secondary means of defense seems short sighted."

"What good is it if you're so easily injured?"

Cynthia scoffed and shook her head. "Don't let your youth fool you, injuries can happen to anyone, and it takes less to destroy a healthy joint than most think."

"Well, yes, but that throw shouldn't have dislocated anything," Loke argued. "Yet your shoulder just popped out!"

"Once a joint's been dislocated once, it becomes prone to slipping out of socket." Cynthia rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck from side to side. "Does that mean any wizard who is injured should retire then and there because they could be injured again?"

Loke's knee jerk reaction was to say yes, but the hypocrisy and idiocy of that statement hit him before he spoke. If wizards gave up and quit the first time they were injured on the job, all guilds would be empty save for children too young to take requests. Was this why most of the wizards he'd met over the centuries were under thirty? Did they stick with it as long as they could until they were forced to retire under the weight of accumulated injuries?

He'd worked with hundreds of wizards, and he'd seen them all get hurt at one point or another. Why did what happened a few minutes shake him so? The answer was so obvious when it came to him, Loke wanted to smack himself upside the head. Cynthia's shoulder bothered him because it was him who injured her just now. He was already feeling guilt for some imagined calamity in the future due to her shoulder being snapped out of joint, but she'd told him herself it was an old injury. He wasn't the one who did the original damage.

"No," he answered after what felt like hours.

Cynthia nodded. "It's just one more reason I need to train," she said. "But not today. I'm going to have to rest the arm for a bit, or it'll just get worse instead of healing."

Loke agreed. They worked together to put the classroom they'd been using back the way they found it and put their shoes back on. A glance at the clock once they finished revealed they still had several hours before they were expected anywhere.

"I think I'm going to see if I can't find a library or bookshop in town until it's time to meet up with everyone," Cynthia said as they left the gym. "See if I can't find anything on transdimensional magic. As much as I like Fairy Tail, I want to get home."

"I can understand."


	11. Of Libraries and Coworkers

Cindy hadn't expected Loke to know where the Akane Public Library was, but he did. They walked the few blocks to the modest building before parting ways, agreeing to meet back outside on the steps an hour later.

It didn't take Cindy long to realize libraries in Earthland didn't follow the Dewey Decimal System. She went to the front desk and asked for help, which the rather bored young woman stationed there was eager to provide. By the time she was to meet back up with Loke, she'd found a half dozen books she thought might be useful. The process of obtaining the Earthland equivalent of a library card was much more complicated than she'd anticipated, which considering it was good for any public library across all Fiore, made perfect sense. Still, it made her late, and Loke came inside to look for her.

"Lose track of time?" he asked as he joined her at the counter.

Cindy shook her head. She finished the last of the required paperwork and handed it over to the librarian, who took it to be processed. "I didn't realize it'd take an act of congress to get a library card," she said. "Sorry."

"Is it different in Terra?"

"Similar, but yes." Cindy grinned at the memory of helping her daughters get their first library cards brought up by his question. "Back home, all it takes is giving the library your contact information and ID, then signing the card, but you have to get a different one for each library. Given the nature of wizarding work, your system makes sense. I just wasn't expecting it."

Loke shrugged. "No big deal. We still have a while before we're supposed to meet Mr. Renard."

"So what'd you get up to?"

"I got a trim and went to pick up a few things." Loke lifted a couple shopping bags.

"Forget stuff back home?"

Loke shook his head. "I passed through the casino on the way to get dinner last night," he explained. "I had to reassess what I planned to wear if I wanted to blend in."

"Gotcha," Cindy said with a nod. She was fairly confident what she'd brought would be okay given how nice the items Mirajane insisted upon during their shopping excursion were, but she found herself a bit nervous anyway. "How done up was everyone?"

"Dressy, but not super formal," Loke responded. He ruffled his already messy hair. "I thought I might need to get this mane of mine under control and get some better shirts is all." His expression tightened, and his shoulders tensed. "Do you need to go pick some stuff up while we're out?"

Cynthia almost laughed at the dread in his voice. "Nah," she said. "Mira drug me all over Magnolia before we left. I'm pretty sure I'm set."

"You make it sound like you hated it."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Loke, not every woman enjoys shopping."

The librarian's return brought an end to the conversation. Cindy finished checking out the books she'd found, and they returned to the resort.

Once back in their room, Loke grabbed some clean clothes and went to take a shower after their morning workout and walking around. Cindy started perusing the first book and taking notes until he finished cleaning up. After he returned, she marked her place and took her turn to wash up. She went right back to her book once she finished.

Loke made a crack about her forgetting the meeting if he wasn't around to remind her of it. Cindy rolled her eyes, but she didn't contradict him. Mira begged her to tag along to keep Loke focused on the work instead of chasing girls. If he thought he was the one babysitting a hyper-focused flake, she could fulfill her end of the bargain and finally start making real progress on finding a way home at the same time.

Dealing with a bored teenager lamenting being stuck with a lame adult who only wanted to study was something Cindy was prepared to handle. She never would have guessed Loke would pick up a book on the celestial realm, another reality interlinked with Earthland through magical contracts between wizards and celestial spirits, and begin reading it. He read, but he didn't take notes. Cindy figured it was just as well. She'd have to read through it herself no matter how good the notes he took where, and this way there was no danger of hurting his feelings in the process.

* * *

The team from Sabertooth was already waiting in the room when Loke and Cynthia arrived. They acknowledged the other wizards with a nod as they entered. Cynthia tucked herself into chair set in the corner, and Loke slumped into one next to her, situated between her and the unfamiliar wizards. Relations between their guilds were civil enough, but Sabertooth's reputation wasn't the best.

A couple women that'd followed behind them down the hall entered. They eyed the three male wizards from Sabertooth for a moment before their attention fell on Loke and Cynthia. The women shared a glance before moving together to take the chairs on Cynthia's other side. As they crossed in front of him, Loke caught a glimpse of the insignia of Mermaid Heel on the taller one's thigh through the slit in her skirt. Only one chair remained empty.

An awkward silence fell over the room as the three teams present waited for the client and the final team to arrive. The largest of the guys from Sabertooth looked over the ladies from Mermaid Heel with obvious hunger laced with disdain. It was an expression he'd seen too many times over the centuries, and it never failed to raise his hackles. Yet he could feel the power radiating from the female mages, and their body language spoke to their awareness of the scrutiny they were under. Loke kept up his disinterested adolescent mask while observing the people he'd be working with for the next couple weeks.

"Pathetic," the smallest of the Sabertooth members murmured in the average one's ear. No one who wasn't a spirit or dragon slayer would be able to overhear them, but Loke's sensitive ears could just make out the words. "A couple chicks, a kid, and an old woman," the guy laughed. "Is this a job or a school play?"

"You'd think guilds would have standards," the average sized wizard agreed.

Cynthia shifted in her chair, and Loke could almost feel her tense. He knew she couldn't possibly hear what was being said, but the woman was a reader. Even with her shields up, he'd noticed she responded to the emotions of those around her. She had to be picking up on the negative emotions swirling around them. At a loss for what to do, Loke tried to send her a wave of reassurance. Whether her shields deflected it or he just failed, he had no idea, but her body language didn't change.

Mr. Renard leading a large, bald man into the room eased the brittle atmosphere. Renard closed the door as the wizard took the last seat.

Loke's eyes went wide when he saw the man's face. Jura of Lamia Scale wasn't a man who could easily go unnoticed these days! Rumor had it he was on the council's short list to be named to the Wizard Saints, and he'd been featured in Sorcerer Weekly several times in the past few months as a result. A grin tugged at his lips at the thought Renard must have decided the man's raw power more than made up for his lack of anonymity.

Their client walked to the head of the room and turned to greet them all with a broad smile. "We're all here now," he said. Renard rubbed his hands together. "Good." He nodded as if to emphasize his approval of the situation.

"I've reviewed the information you've provided, and I assigned each of your teams a six hour shift based upon that. Meals will be provided in this room at one and seven each morning as well as one and seven each evening. You will be expected to debrief the other teams of any unusual occurrences or suspicious activity during your shifts at these times." Renard looked around at all of them and received nods of understanding.

Reaching into his pockets and pulling out a couple of small pouches, he continued. "You will remain on standby for the shift following yours." Mr. Renard walked around the room, handing each mage a lacrima ring. "These will be your means of communication while on duty and standby. Simply press the lacrima and think, 'help,' and the others will warm to call the other team."

"Why the secrecy?" the smallest mage from Sabertooth asked. "Wouldn't it be easier just to yell for back up?"

Mr. Renard looked offended by the questions. He cleared his throat and straightened his bow tie before answering. "Akane Resort prides itself on being a quiet and safe vacation destination," he said. "We prefer to handle any security issues as unobtrusively as possible, which is why the job request was clear that you are expected to blend in with the guests." He sauntered back to the head of the room and smoothed his hands over his suit. "You are to provide security without it being obvious there are guards at the exhibit."

"Sounds more like you're trying to set a trap than guard a gem," the wizard grumbled.

Renard either didn't hear him or ignored the statement. "Now for your shift assignments. I would like for all of you to be present during the exhibit's opening this evening at five," he said. "At six, all of you except the team from Fairy Tail may be excused. Fairy Tail has the first shift from six to midnight. Lamia Scale has the midnight to six shift. Sabertooth has six to noon, and Mermaid Heel will take noon to six." He looked around the room at the gathered wizards. "Any questions?"

Several of them shook their heads.

"Good," Renard said with a nod, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. "I'll leave you to get ready, and I'll expect you all at the opening ceremony."

* * *

Loke and Cynthia stopped by the resort's restaurant and cashed in their last vouchers to get a late lunch. Once again, they got their food to go and took it back up to their room. They ate in companionable silence, each still reading the books they'd begun earlier in the day.

Having lost interest in his earlier because of the laughable inaccuracies in the author's descriptions of the celestial realm, Loke found himself watching Cynthia more than he read. Her brow was furrowed, and she squinted at the pages. The majority of her time was spent taking down meticulous notes, pausing now and again to take a couple hasty bites of her food. He suspected she didn't even taste what she was eating focused as she was on her work.

He envied her in a way. Cynthia had a long, hard road ahead of her. Bridging the gaps between realms was no small feat. As close as the celestial realm was to Earthland with their intertwined histories, it still took mages most of a century to learn how to create the gates. Even with the aid of the keys, opening the gates took a substantial amount of magical energy. Some required more than others, sure, but even the easiest gates required more than the average human could expend. From the way Cynthia described her world, Loke imagined it was very far removed from Earthland indeed. Still, she had hope of success.

Whether or not the woman sitting across from him would ever return home, he couldn't begin to guess. It wouldn't be easy, but with a wizard's access to libraries all across Fiore, she had access to centuries of research and discoveries to build upon. She didn't know it, but she also had an ally with more than a millennia of experience crossing between two realities. Loke decided he would do everything in his power, for whatever time he had left, to help Cynthia return home to her family. It seemed a fitting penance, and he hoped it would bring him some measure of peace in his final days.

Some time after they finished their meal, Cynthia excused herself to begin getting ready for their first shift. She gathered a bundle from the dresser and pulled a green dress out of the closet before going into the room's en-suite. Loke cast a curious glance up at the room's clock to see it was still several minutes until four, and he shook his head. Thus far she'd gotten ready far quicker than he'd expected from the stories he'd heard about human women, but now she was giving herself a full hour to primp. He chuckled as he leaned back onto his bed and returned to reading.

Half an hour later, Loke closed the book and began getting ready. He used the pomade he'd picked up that morning to slick his hair back. Then, he used a scouring spell he'd picked up back when his key holder was a man who lived deep in the desert to clean his teeth and body without needing the en-suite. He changed into well tailored suit not unlike the one he'd worn as Leo.

Wearing the suit made him uncomfortable. After Karen's death and the King's ruling, he'd done everything he could to separate himself from who he used to be. He hadn't paid as much attention to the job request as he should before he accepted it. By the time he realized he'd need to wear formal clothes, it was too late to back out.

Loke turned to the mirror attached to the back of one of the dressers and surveyed his image. While he looked the same as ever wearing the clothes, the change in his hair, piercings, lack of a tie, and shades kept him from looking as he had when under contract. It wasn't a huge difference, but it was enough. Squinting, he took a closer look at himself. A rueful smirk quirked up one side of his mouth as he realized taming his usual spikes made him appear a few years older. Again, it wasn't much, but a couple years made a big difference when you looked fourteen.

He picked up the lacrima ring he'd been given earlier and slipped it onto his right hand. Loke heard the door to the en-suite open.

Turning around, Loke felt his jaw fall lax for a second. He almost didn't recognize Cynthia. She too had taken measures to tame her somewhat frizzy mix of waves and curls. Her dark hair fell shiny and smooth down past her shoulder blades, and he realized he must be seeing her wear cosmetics for the first time. The myriad of freckles covering her face and the slight but still present dark circles under her eyes were smoothed away, hidden in a way that made her skin look even and glowing.

Her dress was simple and long, but it suited her. With the clothes she normally wore, he'd thought she must be built rather like a box. However, Cynthia had the same generous curves common to mothers of a certain age. The dress was cut to accentuate those curves while minimizing a midsection and limbs that were perhaps bigger than she'd prefer. Her frame was broad and heavy for her height, but she looked more in proportion without the bulky, baggy clothes she normally wore.

"Well, look who cleans up nice," she said with a smile. Cynthia stepped into a pair of black flats.

"Thanks. You look good too," Loke returned.

Cynthia gave a rather inelegant snort, but she smiled anyway. "You're sweet to say so."

Loke frowned as she turned away and began looking through the purse she'd stashed in the cabinet under her bedside table. What was so funny about what he'd said? Cynthia pulled a small pouch out of the purse, and she tipped it into her hand to reveal a necklace baring a simple gold band. Opening the clasp, she slipped the lacrima ring she'd been given earlier that day onto the chain before securing it around her neck.

"Aren't you going to wear it on your finger?" Loke asked.

Cynthia shook her head. "It won't fit on these big ol' sausage fingers," she grumbled, holding her hand up as an illustration.

He considered her hands with confusion. They were a bit larger than most women's, but they were proportional to her frame. Her fingers weren't particularly long. They did look a little puffy but nothing like sausages. Once again, something struck him as being off about her hands, but he couldn't put his finger on what it might be.

"Even if it did, they always seem to swell when I wear rings now." She fiddled with the gold band on her necklace and sighed. "I gave up wearing any of them a few years ago because they kept getting stuck."

"So you wear your wedding band around your neck?"

Cynthia frowned. "I did," she said and let the rings fall against her chest. "This is just a cheap look alike I got the other day. The real one was lost in the accident along with my engagement ring."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too," she said and favored Loke with a sad smile. Cynthia took a deep breath before letting it out and shaking herself. "Enough of that. Let's get this show on the road."


	12. Growing Pains

Loke and Cynthia fell into a routine over the next few days. After breakfast, with Jura and the ladies from Mermaid Heel, Avary and Temina, they would head to the gym to train for an hour. Then they would go back to their room to clean up.

Loke showed Cynthia meditation techniques a few of his keyholders had used to increase their magical power and control. She did well enough with it, but novice that she was, she tired quickly. Four days into this routine, and she'd lasted a couple minutes shy of half an hour before needing to rest. It wasn't much, but considering she only managed six minutes the first day, it was a significant improvement. A quick nap before lunch had her back on her feet and alert as ever.

After an uncomfortable lunch with the three wizards from Sabertooth, Cynthia went back to the room and resumed going through the books she'd borrowed from the library. Loke had teased her about losing track of time their first full day in Akane with as absorbed in the work as she got from time to time. He'd just meant it as a joke, but there were times he was honestly worried she would forget everything but what she was doing right then. So most days he tagged along and read from one of the books she'd finished or the notes she'd taken.

He'd gone to the beach instead the day before. After several days being cooped up inside, he was beginning to feel hemmed in, and he thought he'd go stir crazy if he didn't get out and do something. Cynthia had waved him off when he invited her along. She claimed she wasn't a beach person. Something about being prone to burning and people going blind if she even thought about wearing something that didn't cover her from neck to ankles. She didn't look _that_ pale to him, but he didn't argue. He'd changed into his swimwear, grabbed a towel, and left.

When he returned a couple of hours later, the room was a disaster. Books and notes were strewn over every available surface, and Cynthia was pacing back and forth between them. According to what he was able to get out of her, she felt like she was close to making connections, but something was just out of her reach. It took him a good ten minutes to convince her to go get ready for their shift.

She'd been adamant the whole thing would slip from her grasp if she stopped right then without getting it all down, but he'd insisted. Loke had been forced to remind her they had a job to do, or they'd get fired. It made him feel guilty to interrupt her progress, but if he hadn't, they wouldn't have made it downstairs in time.

In the end, she'd been right. Whatever hints she'd seen the day before evaporated by the time they'd woken this morning, and she'd been down ever since. Cynthia wasn't just a bit saddened, she was an utter wreck. She twitched at the slightest sound and flinched away from people like she was nothing more than a bundle of raw nerves. After he'd knocked her on her rear for the third time in as many minutes, Loke called a halt to their daily sparring match.

"What's up with you this morning?" he asked as she clambered up from where she'd fallen. "I know you're frustrated after what happened with your research, but this kind of distraction will get you killed."

"You think I don't know that?" Cynthia snapped. She wrung her hands and paced back and forth on the mats. "I'm a bit bummed whatever it was slipped away, but it's not the research that's bothering me." She shrugged one shoulder and just kept on fidgeting. "My subconscious is on the job, and it'll come to me sometime later when I find whatever I'm missing. Always does eventually."

"What then?" Loke stepped in front of her and grabbed her upper arms. She was making him sea sick, and they weren't even on the ocean!

Cynthia stopped and looked at him with a wild look in her hazel eyes. She shuddered. "Can't you feel that?" she asked.

"Feel what?" Loke let go of her arms.

Shrugging, Cynthia let out a quiet whine as she seemed to cast about for the right words. "I can't quite grasp it," she said. "There's been a…" Her voice trailed off, and she glanced down. She growled and scrubbed at her face with her hands. "I don't have the words to describe it!"

"You've been picking something up with your telepathy magic?"

Cynthia nodded and met his eyes again. "It's modeled after the telepathic character I created, which _sucks_ because, just like him, I can't turn it off! At least not on the receiving end." Frustration flooded her voice and body language. "Thank God I've learned how to shield, or I'd be a raving lunatic by now! Still, they're not a hundred percent effective."

"I've noticed."

Cynthia blushed, and her expression turned sheepish.

"Anyway, something's felt off since we got here," she continued. "At first, I just figured it was being in a new place, but it's getting worse."

"What's it feel like?" Loke asked. He'd been able to communicate telepathically with his keyholders using his gate key as a conduit, but he had no idea if the experience was anywhere close to how Cynthia's magic worked.

Her right hand came up, and she tapped a couple of fingers against her lips as she thought. "You know how you can hear something _just_ outside your range?" she said after a minute. "It's not really a sound, more like a pressure in your ears, but you can still sense whether it's on the high or low end."

Loke nodded. It wasn't something he'd experienced often, but it'd happened.

"It's like that, but…" She raised both hands toward the sides of her head and mimed someone pressing toward her skull but not touching it. "I can't pin it down, but whatever it is, it's not pleasant. I can't even tell if it's really getting closer or worse, or if I'm just feeling it more because of the exercises you've been walking me through."

Loke didn't know what to think either. He'd assumed she could only sense anything from those in her immediate vicinity based on how he'd seen her react to others. However, looking back, he could see her becoming more agitated as the days went by, and her sleep had been restless both during her nap yesterday and last night. Had her power grown past what she could shield against because of what he'd taught her? If so, they'd have to find a way to strengthen her shields. She seemed to be sensing a general unpleasantness, and unfortunately, the majority of the human race carried enough negative emotion to explain such a thing in a town the size of Akane.

"Sounds like we need to consult Warren," he said. Gesturing to the mats they'd gotten out, he continued. "Let's get these picked up, and we'll put in a call to the guild."

* * *

"I'm sorry you two, Warren's out on a job and isn't expected to return for a couple of days," Makarov said from the other end of the connection. "I'll have him contact you once he gets back. In the meantime, I think you should stop the meditation exercises."

"Yes sir," Loke agreed.

Cynthia nodded and echoed his words. "Have the boys been behaving?" she asked a second later before Makarov could cut the connection.

"I can't say Natsu's been happy about the situation, but he hasn't been any more trouble than usual." Makarov gave Cynthia a kindly smile.

"Please don't mention anything of this to them, Master," Cynthia said. She curled in on herself a hair, and her expression was sheepish. "I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill, and you know how protective Natsu gets."

"I won't volunteer the information," Makarov said, "but I will not lie if he asks." He raised an eyebrow, and Cynthia nodded her understanding. "Mind my warning. I know you want to grow, but leave the training until you can study with Warren or another telepathy mage you can trust. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how dangerous mind magics can be."

Cynthia gulped, and she paled. "No, Master Makarov." Her voice wavered and carried much less strength than it had a moment before.

Makarov nodded and cut the transmission. Loke closed the case around his communications lacrima and packed it back in his bag. Luck didn't seem to be with them today.

As much as he wanted to dismiss the pressure Cynthia was picking up as the background darkness of humanity, he couldn't do it. Maybe it was how eerily quiet and easy this job had been so far, but he had a sense something was coming as well. The Nexus Gem was legend. Through the right rituals, the stone was rumored to have the ability to tap the power within ley lines and tie them to a person. If there was any validity to the claims, the gem was key to a massive power up for those who knew how to use it. Even if there weren't, it was still a beautiful and rare gemstone despite the rough cut. Loke was sure they should have had at least one person foolish enough to try and swipe it by now, but it'd been quiet all around since they'd arrived.

Cynthia let out a yawn and fell back onto her bed. Loke almost laughed at the childish display.

"You didn't sleep well last night, did you?" Loke already knew the answer, but he'd heard most adolescents slept like the dead and wouldn't wake because someone in a neighboring bed was restless.

She shook her head and threw one arm over her eyes. "This, whatever it is, kept seeping into my dreams," she said.

"Maybe you should take a sleep aid and nap before tonight."

"I would if I thought it'd do any good," Cynthia said. She yawned again. It turned almost into a gasp as what looked like an involuntary stretch had her reaching her arms out toward the headboard. Her feet scrambled for purchase on the floor where they dangled off the end of the bed. As soon as she relaxed out of the stretch, she sat up on the bed again and shook herself. "Everything I've experienced is so like the poor sap I tortured in my books, I'm almost certain I'd react the same to being dosed with sleep meds."

"How's that?"

"Become trapped in a loop of nightmares until they wear off," she answered.

"That would be unpleasant," Loke agreed. "You'd probably be just as tired afterward if not more so too."

"Yep." She laughed. "I'm starting to feel bad about being such a bitch to my characters now. The makings of a good story suck when you're the one living it."

Loke snorted. "I suppose so."

The way Cynthia talked about the imaginary people she wrote stories about was strange. It was like they were real and yet not in the same instant. Was that a constant or merely the result of being thrust into one's shoes? That thought made him wonder.

Loke laid across the foot of his bed and propped his head up on his arms. "So, are you a stronger telepath than your character now?" he asked.

"Oh no," Cynthia answered with a shake of her head. "He's toward the upper end of the scale for sensitivity and range," she said. "I'd be close to the bottom. Just an empath really if it weren't for the glimpses and whispers I can pick up with shields down and some form of physical connection."

"Then how does he avoid being overwhelmed?"

Cynthia sighed. "With help," she said. "The weather mage is his partner. She's a very weak empath, but she has a talent for shields. The two were raised together, which helped them form a bond close enough they were able to share mental shields."

"That might be difficult to find." Loke frowned.

"And how!" she agreed. "My magic's based on how I wrote them, so theoretically, I ought to be able to play both roles." Cynthia didn't sound very certain, and she grimaced. "The problem is, I never thought too much into the mechanisms and techniques behind establishing and maintaining mental shields. I just found words that sounded right."

Falling onto the bed in a position that mirrored his own, Cynthia buried her face in her crossed arms. "I have theories for days on how telepathy, telekinesis, the weather 'magic,' and all the other stuff I wrote characters being able to do works, but I skipped over that!" Her muffled voice sounded disgusted. "Those were easy. All of it could be explained with quantum mechanics applied on a macro scale, but how do you block an instinctual observation? A brain doesn't have eyelids."

"Huh?"

Cynthia raised her head. She flushed and flapped her hand at him. "Never mind me. I'm just rambling," she muttered.

Her eyes glazed over, and her brow furrowed. Loke wasn't sure if he should be concerned or encouraged. The way she'd been speaking just now reminded him of Jakard when he'd rant and ramble deep in thought as he chewed over an idea or invention. It'd always been even odds whether the spell resulted in an epiphany or a spectacular failure ending in injuries and a night of heavy drinking. Leo hadn't seen many battles in those days, but that didn't mean the man had been a boring one to be contracted to for a few decades.

"I wonder," Cynthia muttered to herself. She pushed herself back up into a sitting position before arranging her limbs like she was preparing to meditate again.

"Master Makarov wants you to avoid meditating," Loke reminded her.

"I know," she answered without moving or opening her eyes. "I'm not. I'm just trying to make it easier to concentrate. Something just occurred to me, and I want to try it."

"A way of shielding?"

"Yes, now sush!" Cynthia's voice was impatient, but the corners of her mouth were twitching like she wanted to grin.

Loke watched the woman's face as she settled into whatever it was she was trying. Her shoulders were tense, and her expression was pinched. She regulated her breathing, and her brow creased in concentration as she began. The room went still. The only sound was the slight ticking of the wall clock and the whisper of them breathing. Cynthia's brow smoothed, and her expression began to ease. Loke's mood lifted seeing this, and he silently cheered her on. Moments passed, and the tension began to uncoil from her shoulders. After a few more, the ghost of a relief filled smile began to overtake her expression. He pushed himself up to sit, careful not to disturb her as he did so.

Cynthia's eyes opened, and she turned to beam at him. "It worked!" She gave a delighted laugh. "It actually worked!"

"What did?" Loke asked, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Eyelids!" Cynthia said. "A brain doesn't have eyelids, but you can imagine the skull as a steel box," she explained. "It works even better if you add a bit of mental soundproofing panels to the inside." Giggling in a manner verging on hysteria, Cynthia took her hair out of the bun she'd put it in that morning and shook it out. "I never described it in words, but I remembered a bunch of visual images I'd forgotten about having when I was writing about them shielding."

"So you found a way to close the emotions out?"

Nodding, Cynthia smiled again. "It's so nice to be all alone in here again," she said and tapped the side of her head with a finger.

"So no more gloom pressing on your skull?" Loke asked.

"Not for now," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm sure it's still there, but I can't feel it at the moment." Cynthia let out another jaw cracking yawn. "I'm wiped," she said. "I really need to sleep before tonight, or there's no way I'll be able to stay alert until midnight. Would you mind bringing something back from lunch for me, so I can catch a nap?"

"No problem."

"Thanks," she said. "Wake me up at half past three. Since this worked so well, there's something I want to try before our shift tonight."

"This about the gloom?"

Cynthia nodded. "I think I know how to try and pin it down, but I'm too zonked to have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding right now."

"Get some sleep then," Loke said. "I'll go do a bit of snooping around, see if I come across anything weird away from the exhibit hall."

"Good idea."

Loke shrugged into his usual green jacket. He heard the scrape of metal rings over the curtain rod, and the room went dark as Cynthia closed the blackout curtains. Slipping the lacrima ring on with his others despite it not being their time on standby, Loke turned to leave.

"Hey, Loke," Cynthia called.

He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Light or dark didn't make much difference to him, so he could see her climbing into her bed as clearly as if the room was still bright.

"Be careful."

* * *

Loke was irritated with himself when he made his way to eat lunch. He'd spent the past four hours wandering the resort looking for something, anything out of the ordinary. What he'd hoped to notice, he had no idea. It'd take a special kind of stupid for anyone planning something to talk about it out in the open.

Maybe he needed to make an effort to sleep more. Being in the human realm wasn't as painful as it once was, but the drain on his life force was constant. He'd felt better, less foggy headed, following the few evenings he managed to sleep more than a couple of hours.

The Sabertooth team was already sitting at the table eating when Loke walked into the conference room they'd been using as a dining hall. Belvar, the smallest and most talkative of the group, looked up when the door opened, and he watched Loke walk in and take a seat with his beady, grey eyes. Elran glanced up and went right back to eating, and the largest, Krop never looked up from his plate.

Ignoring the other wizards, Loke prepared a plate for himself and began eating.

"Mummy dearest not coming today?" Elran asked through a mouthful of food.

Loke ignored the comment as he ate.

Belvar chuckled. "I think you hit a nerve, Elran!" He grinned as he turned to Loke. "What's the matter? You two have a spat?"

Shaking his head, Loke answered, "She isn't feeling well."

"Now that's a crying shame," Elran said. His attempt at sounding concerned was so fake it was pathetic. "You think you'll have to work tonight's shift all by yourself?"

Loke shrugged.

"It doesn't worry you?" Belvar gave him what Loke assumed was supposed to be a concerned look. "Jura might get by guarding the gem all by himself, but the man's a powerhouse. You think you're as strong as he is?"

"Quiet as it's been," Loke said between bites, "a mouse could guard the gem."

The men laughed. "You're right there," Krop mumbled. "Boringest damn job I've ever worked."

"Pay's good though." Loke finished his lunch and gave the wizards his best conspiratorial grin. He pushed his plate aside and began building a sandwich, which he wrapped in napkins. "See you later."


	13. A Hard Day's Night

The curtains were still closed, but Cynthia's bed was empty when Loke returned. Light shined through the cracks around the ensuite door, and he could hear water running and someone singing on the other side. Loke chuckled as he walked across the room. Cynthia's voice wasn't horrible, but she was rather sharp. Still, if she was singing, she must be feeling better, and that eased the sense of foreboding that'd tied a knot in his chest.

He sat the napkin wrapped sandwich on the little table and pulled the curtains open. Cynthia finished whatever song it was she was singing just before the water turned off. Her voice came through clearer and a bit more in tune, though still sharp, as she began singing a new song.

Loke's smile faded as he slid into the chair facing the ensuite door. He leaned his elbows on the table and listened. While he hadn't been able to make out many of the words of the first song over the water running, it'd sounded happy. This one was somber and raw and just a bit sorrowful. Why the shift?

The ensuite door opening jolted Loke out of his ruminations about the odd song. Cynthia's voice died off the moment she noticed she wasn't alone. She stood in the doorway, wrapped in one of the robes included in their room and blushing.

"I hope you haven't had to listen to too much of my caterwauling," said Cynthia. She rushed over to the dresser and pulled open one of the drawers she was using. "I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"Just a couple minutes," Loke said. "I don't think I've ever heard those songs before."

Cynthia didn't look up as she pulled out the clothes she wanted. "They're old hymns I grew up hearing all the time." She straightened up and chuckled, clutching the bits of cloth over her chest. "Singing them has become something of a habit since getting stuck here, but I know I sound like someone swinging a cat by the tail." Cynthia smiled at him. Her expression was both apologetic and uncomfortable. "Sorry you had to hear that." She almost bolted back into the ensuite to change.

Bemused, Loke shook his head and grinned as he slipped out of his jacket. Spring was beginning to warm with the beginning of May, and Akane lay much closer to the tropics than Magnolia. The material was becoming stifling.

Cynthia returned from the bathroom, fully dressed a couple minutes later. She sat down at the table and accepted the sandwich he'd brought back for her with thanks. It'd taken him a few meals, but Loke had noticed the woman didn't seem comfortable with anyone seeing her eat no matter how healthful or slight her choices. He turned his head and pretended to be absorbed in watching people walk by outside as she ate.

Loke went back over their interactions with the other teams, resort staff, and guests over the last six days searching for anything he might have missed. The crinkling of the napkins being gathered up pulled Loke out of his musing. Cynthia cleared away what trash and crumbs remained from her meal.

"Did you find anything?" she asked as she tossed the used napkins in the trash.

"Not a thing," Loke groused and slouched back in his chair. "Just people doing regular vacationy things and the Sabertooth guys being their usual selves."

Cynthia snorted and grinned as she made her way back into the bathroom. "That bad huh?" She left the door open, and Loke could hear the clatter of hair pins being dumped out onto the counter.

"Yeah."

He stood up and strolled over to the other room. He could hear her just fine, but he didn't like not seeing the person he was talking to when he had a choice in the matter. Leaning against the door jab, Loke watched Cynthia separate, twist, and secure her hair in a dozen or so tiny buns all over her head. It was one of the more unusual hairstyles he'd ever seen, but she seemed to use it more as a way to enhance the natural curls in her hair than as a style on its own.

"What about you?" he asked. "You seem to be feeling better."

"Oh yes," Cynthia agreed. She separated out a small section of her hair and began twisting it until it coiled in on itself. "I just needed a bit of quiet and a few hours of sleep."

"Feeling well enough to start singing anyway," Loke teased.

Cynthia paused in opening one of the pins to glower at him. She rolled her eyes and secured the tiny bun. "I've already apologized for that."

"I wasn't complaining," he said. "You were a bit sharp, but I've heard worse."

Working on the next coil, Cynthia met his eyes through the mirror and gave him a rueful smile. "Yeah, my ear sucks," she said. "Best I can tell, I hear almost a half step flat, so I go sharp unless I'm singing as part of a group."

"That makes a difference?"

"It does when you're taught to tune to the group," she said. Her expression went wistful again, and her eyes glossed over. "I played in the school band in upper elementary, middle, and high school," she said. "It was the only fun part about school, and it gave me a skill I could use to pay for college. Probably can't do crap now other than sing with a group. I've never been any good unless I'm with a band, and I haven't been part of one of those since halfway through college. Lost all my callouses and everything."

She stopped working on her hair and wiggled her right thumb. "Only physical proof I have I ever played anything now is the divot the thumb rest wore in the knuckle over the decade or so." Cynthia went back to work. "Although that'll probably fade too in another few years. It's gotten a lot shallower over the past fifteen."

"You're homesick."

"Yep," Cynthia agreed.

"That why you were singing?"

"Yep." She pinned the coil and started on another. "You don't always realize it, but certain smells or foods or songs get tangled up in your memories of certain people or groups." She sighed. "I've come across some of the same foods here, but not the songs. Music's always been a huge part of my life. I grew up singing with the congregation at church and listening to my grandmothers and other ladies singing as they worked. Playing in band makes up most of my happiest memories from my adolescence, and I always had music playing when I cooked and cleaned and even wrote back home."

She frowned as she started on another coil. "I'm afraid I'll start to forget the songs from back home, and the people I've connected to those songs with them." Her eyes began to water, and she blinked the gathering tears away.

"I understand," Loke said, and he did. You didn't live as long as he did without a few memories fading. He'd never paid much attention to the songs and dishes, sights and smells unique to the celestial world until he'd been barred from returning. Now those memories were as precious to him and as susceptible to fading as the ones Cynthia feared losing. He resolved to try keeping those memories as fresh as he could, just as this displaced woman was trying to do for her own.

"Do you ever get homesick?" she asked.

"Sure I do." Loke jammed his hands in his pockets. "Doesn't everyone when they're away from home for a while?"

"I suppose so." Cynthia finished with the last coil and secured it. "I've never been away for longer than a week until now, so it's my first experience with it."

"Really?"

She nodded and turned around. "I've always been a homebody." She shrugged. "Travel was something I only ever did because I had to in order to try and sell books and what not. Driving for hours or giving control of a speeding vehicle to someone else, plus the packing and other hassles, have never been my idea of fun."

Loke snorted. "Control freak," he teased.

"Yep," Cynthia agreed with a nod, and Loke laughed. "Ready to see if I can pin down that weird feeling?"

Loke nodded and rolled away from the door jab. He walked back into the hotel room, and Cynthia followed.

"What are you planning?" he asked.

Cynthia tugged the sheets of her bed back into place before sitting at the foot of it. "I'm going to try to search it out," she said. She pulled her legs up and folded them into the usual cross legged position she used when meditating. "I'm going to have to dismantle the shields Warren helped me build first though. I'm pretty sure those permashields are obscuring whatever it is."

A shiver ran down Loke's spine. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Not entirely, no," Cynthia said. "I'll be completely open for a minute or two, and I don't really know how I'll react. That's one reason I wanted to wait until you got back, and I was well rested." She looked him directly in the eye with an expression more serious than he'd ever seen her wear. "I'm going to try and rebuild the shields I figured out this morning as fast as I can, but I need you here to pull me out of it if I get lost."

"And how do I do that?" Loke's heart rate skyrocketed, and his palms went clammy. How the hell was he supposed to pull someone back from a psychic fit?

"Same as you would anyone who was spaced out," she said, but Cynthia didn't sound certain at all. "Snapping, waving a hand in front of their face, calling to them, and a good hard slap if all else fails." She grimaced. "You'll want to avoid touching me unless you absolutely have to though. Touch doubles the connection." Her brow furrowed. "Actually, you might want to try and build a few shields of your own before I start tearing mine down."

That he could agree with, so he asked how. Cynthia walked him through the process of what she'd done that morning as well as what Warren had taught her. It wasn't a walk in the park, that was for sure, but twenty minutes of intense concentration and meditation later, they were satisfied he had at least rudimentary mental shields in place. Loke found it easier to breathe now that there was less of a chance Cynthia might catch on to his secrets even if he had to shake her back to consciousness because of this experiment.

He stood over her as she closed her eyes and began. It was like watching what she'd done that morning in reverse. Loke could see each shield falling in the growing tension in her shoulders and posture and the tightness of her expression. Sweat began to bead on her brow, and her color started to go sallow. Cynthia's breathing picked up, and Loke started to notice the sharp tang of adrenaline in the air. Outside, the clouds began to darken from a fluffy white to slate, and Loke's body began to react to the oppressive atmosphere in the room with an adrenaline surge of its own.

Cynthia's complexion began to shift from a sallow yellow to a waxy green, and her expression turned pained. Her hands slid from where they'd been lying on her knees to grip the edge of the bed, and she started to pant. The room darkened, and a rumble of thunder rolled overhead.

Loke opened his mouth to call for Cynthia, but the gasp she let out as her body sagged in relief stopped him. She'd gone almost boneless, and he stood poised to catch her should she fall over. As he watched, her color began to normalize, and her breathing slowed and became less ragged. The room brightened as the clouds that'd been covering the sun cleared, and Cynthia took a few slow, deep breaths.

"That was not pleasant," she muttered and opened her eyes.

"It didn't look like it." Loke crouched down in front of her bed and looked her over for any lingering signs of distress. "What happened?"

"Those permanent shields Warren helped me construct were harder to drop than they were to build," Cynthia said. She rolled her neck and groaned. "They weren't supposed to be." She shuddered. "It's like they tried to root themselves into my mind, and I kind of had to 'dig' them out."

"What the hell!" Loke yelped. "Were you trying to render yourself a vegetable?"

"Do I look stupid to you?" Cynthia grimaced. "Don't answer that." She sighed. "I would have stopped if I experienced any of the warning signs Warren and Master Makarov told me to keep a watch for, okay?"

"Did you find anything?"

Loke still heard his heart hammering in his ears, and his hands were clammy and shaking. He hated humanity's forms of telepathy magic with a passion, and this experience only served to deepen that hatred. He loathed feeling helpless.

Cynthia shook her head. "I haven't had a chance to look yet," she said. "Clearing the permashields was a lot harder than I anticipated, and I need a breather before I try to open my shields even a crack." She scrubbed over her face with her hands.

"Alright."

Loke stood and squeezed her shoulder. Cynthia flinched away from the simple touch, and he pulled his hand back like he was burned. He shuffled over to his bed and dropped down on it.

Cynthia turned her head and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I'm still trying to adjust my shields," she said. Allowing her head to drop back down, she shivered. "I didn't realized how much of a difference a few weeks of training and those exercises you taught me made until I wasn't shielded at all for the first time in a month."

"You have made swift progress," Loke agreed. "Then again, you're a grown woman, not a kid. More focus and determination equals faster progression."

Cynthia chuckled. "Nice way of saying I'm stubborn."

"There are worse things to be."

"True."

Cynthia stood and shook out her limbs. Then she went to the bathroom. Loke heard the water running for a second and the clink of the towel ring shifting. She returned and took her place back on the end of her bed.

"Speaking of, I'm going to try and get a better look at that sense of gloom," she said as she settled back into position. "I had to keep my attention directed away from it earlier, but it did seem 'louder' once I got the permashields down."

Loke nodded, and he couldn't tell if she noticed or not. Her eyes were closed, and her face was drawn in concentration. He kept watch over her, unsure what he would do if she reacted poorly or even how he'd know, but he felt compelled to stay close nonetheless. Damn he felt useless!

Time seemed to crawl. The room was as still as it had been that morning. Cynthia sat looking for all the world like she was merely meditating. Only the minute changes in her expression gave any clue she was actively working on anything. Minuscule glimpses of exhilaration and frustration warred on her features as the minutes ticked by.

"I give up," Cynthia muttered with a frown and opened her eyes.

"Nothing?" Loke asked.

Cynthia sighed and stretched. "I don't know if I would say that," she said. "I couldn't pinpoint the source, but _something_ out there is focused on the gem."

"You sure it's not just Mr. Renard?"

"Possible, but I doubt it," Cynthia said. She twisted to the side, putting her left hand on her right knee and using it to twist further. The crackle her spine released made Loke shudder. "I couldn't figure out who they were coming from, but I caught someone studying the layout of the exhibit and searching for weak spots. Then images of masculine looking hands lifting the gem accompanied by a sense of elation." She repeated the process of stretching her back on the other side. "Some of that makes sense for Mr. Renard, but he could get his hands on the gem anytime he wanted."

"True." Loke tried not to show his disgust at the sound her joints popping caused him, but she must have noticed because she giggled while looking a tad sheepish. "You think someone's planning to try something?"

"Don't you?"

"Of course. That thing's legendary," Loke answered.

"Exactly," Cynthia agreed. "It's nothing concrete or anything we didn't already know, but still, it's nice to have a heads up."

Loke followed her gaze as she looked up at the clock. It read ten til five. She stood up from the bed and began gathering her clothes for the evening.

"I'd better go get started trying to pretty myself up some," she grumbled before heading back into the ensuite.

* * *

Fighting the urge to tug at the neckline of the dress she wore, Cindy glanced toward the dais where the Nexus Gem was displayed. The lights overhead glinted off the stone's surface and the glass encasing it. The gem itself was gorgeous and eerie. A chunk of obsidian almost the size of her fist, the stone's sides were mirror smooth and its upper edge was as sharp as a serrated knife. The entire gem was shot through with veins of golden crystal, and it appeared to glow with internal power when the light hit it just right.

Tonight marked the sixth evening she would spend guarding this precious stone with its very own legend attached. Thus far the job had been simple and a bit boring. Blending in while guarding the exhibit consisted of wasting an hour or more each day trying to make herself look halfway decent and then mingling with the guests, making small talk, as she kept up her telepathic scans and the strongest impulse graft she could muster. If nothing else, between the nightly practice and the training she'd done with Loke in their off hours, this job was doing a lot for her magical strength.

Making it through their shifts while maintaining a constant magical expenditure was becoming easier the more she practiced and followed the meditative exercises Loke had taught her. The first evening, she'd become so exhausted, Loke had to steady her on the way back to their room. She didn't even remember climbing into bed that night. She'd woken the next morning still in her dress from the evening before to hear the younger mage suggest trying the exercises before she made herself sick. And it was working judging by the fact she'd had enough energy last night to stay up until the 1 a.m. meal was served for the first time since they'd started the job.

The exhibit hall became less crowded each day following the grand opening that first Saturday. There was a slight uptick in attendance tonight, but most seemed to come through to look for a few minutes before going back out into the casino to lose jewel in an attempt to make more. Such was a Thursday evening in a vacation hot spot, Cindy supposed.

Cindy had never been one to love crowds, and developing empathic abilities did nothing to help her unease around large groups of people. That morning's discovery of how to build shields that were effective for her provided a blessed relief, but the job she'd accepted required her to thin them. Upon arriving at the exhibit hall, she'd weakened her shields by half before opening a crack to emit the impulse graft. This meant she could keep an "eye" out for incoming trouble, but it also meant she was being buffeted by the emotions roiling around in the people milling about the room. Between couples on getaway, shows involving beautiful men and women, and the amount of alcohol flowing in the general vicinity, Cindy was having an uncomfortable evening.

While she knew none of the lust and desire she was sensing was directed toward her, it still made her even more self-conscious than usual of how low the cowl neck of her dress dipped and how the hem fluttered around her knees. All through high school and college, she'd been hippy, but cleavage wasn't something she'd had to worry about much with her figure and preferred wardrobe of geeky tees and jeans. Then she'd started at the local radio station a few months before she'd married Lee, and she'd become pregnant six months later. It seemed like all of the dressy maternity clothes were low cut or on the short side, and she'd had to deal with going from a small c to a triple d over the eight and a half months she'd carried Riley. She'd hoped they'd shrink back as she lost the baby weight, but ten years on, neither the weight nor the extra boobage had gone anywhere. She still felt exposed in anything that didn't cover her neck to ankles.

Why had she let Mirajane talk her into accepting this thing? It might be her favorite color, but it didn't even look good on her. She looked like a giant blueberry with legs and curly hair.

Cindy gave herself a mental smack and forced her attention back to the job at hand. If she got started on a self-hate spiral, one thought would feed into another in an endless loop. Who knew when she'd manage to snap out of it?

Noticing a pressure on the edges of her senses that wasn't there a moment ago, Cindy narrowed her focus. Anticipation washed over her, and she saw flashes of the exhibit hall from the second story balcony as well as Loke dressed in the suit he'd worn last night. Adrenaline sent a cold wave through her as her heart rate picked up speed. Dropping the broad scan altogether, Cindy focused in as tightly as she could. She still couldn't tell who they belonged to, but she knew at least two people were heading their way.

Loke stood talking with a group of people across the room, near the entrance. The idea of using the lacrima ring on her necklace to call the ladies from Mermaid Heel crossed her mind, but what if she was wrong? No matter how many years she'd written about telepaths and empaths, she'd only developed their powers herself a few weeks ago, and today served to prove how little she understood about using them. Cindy decided to leave the other teams to their rest for now. She'd give Loke a heads up, and they would holler for help if something materialized.

She tapped Loke on the shoulder. When he turned to her, she gave the people he was speaking with an apologetic smile before asking if she could speak with him for a minute. He excused himself from the conversation and followed her a few feet away.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We have at least two incoming," Cindy answered. "I haven't been able to I.D. them, but from the images I got, I'd say they're planning to hit from the balcony up there." She nodded toward the second floor balcony. "They also seem focused on you."

The teenager's expression tightened, and he nodded his understanding. "Have you called for back up?"

"No," Cindy said. "First job. New magic. There's a good chance I'm way off base, so I didn't want to raise a false alarm."

Loke made an unsure noise in the back of his throat, and his jaw clenched. "If it's just two, that shouldn't be a problem," he said after a moment. "More than four though, and we'll want to call."

"Agreed."

They split up. Loke joined another group of guests discussing the exhibit with ease, using the discussion to place himself between the second floor balcony and the gem. Cindy made her way toward the main entrance. She fiddled with the rings on her necklace and made no effort to disguise the fact she was looking for someone, content to let people think she'd gotten separated from whomever gave her the rings.

A minute or two later, a gentleman somewhere around her own age came up to her, asking if something was the matter. She was murmuring the cover story she'd created when an unusual amount of focus and gleeful anticipation caught her attention. Keeping half an ear on the conversation, she scanned the area. The odd emotions were emanating from a rather large fellow who looked like he spent half his day in the gym. He looked almost familiar, but Cindy couldn't place him. All she knew was something was up with this guy, especially with the way his gaze focused in on the Nexus Gem as soon as he rounded the corner.

Cindy focused her attention on him, trying her best to get a read on his specific thoughts. She broke away from the well meaning stranger with a feigned look of recognition and a, "Thank you, but I found him."

In the end, it was intuition more than knowledge that caused her to act. No matter how hard she focused, Cindy wasn't able to get a bead on the large man's thoughts. A fleeting spark of recognition and the coiling of muscle under fine linen told her he was about to act, and she reacted on instinct.

The man barreled forward at speeds someone of his size ought not be able to reach as Cindy dropped the broadband impulse graft in favor of a narrow one. He shoved a group of people out of his way, causing a ruckus as they protested. Cindy focused her intent on his mind alone, sending out a command to stop even as her feet started carrying her forward.

The man's progress slowed as the impulse took hold. It wasn't much, but it slowed him down to a natural speed. He let out a frustrated scream. Loke beat Cindy to the scene and hit the hulking fellow with a powerful punch. A burst of light accompanied the hit, and the larger man folded over before retaliating with a hay maker of his own.

Cindy ran over as fast as she was able with the flats she'd worn, silently cursing whatever idiot decided a decent tread was unnecessary for women's dress shoes throughout the multiverse as she went. Her intent was to hit him with a few volts to help Loke where she could. Even having improved a bit over the last several days, Cindy knew she wouldn't stand a chance against someone as big as this guy, especially if he used speed magic. Force is equal to mass times acceleration, after all. She hoped Loke would, but at the same time, she wasn't about to leave him on his own and stand back doing nothing.

Loke dodged the hay maker and went for a foot sweep. Cindy wasn't able to keep the ineffectual impulse graft going without overextending her magic, so she dropped it. The big wizard was able to regain enough speed to avoid the foot sweep as a result. Loke use the momentum of the sweep to propel himself back to his feet and away from the other wizard to regroup. Cindy used the opening to hit the thief with a couple bolts of blue electricity as he aimed another punch towards Loke's head. The bolts connected to his ribs, causing the wizard to spasm mid-swing. Taking advantage of the opening, Loke rushed the stumbling man and hit him with a combination.

Cindy's vision went double for a moment. An image of the fight as seen from above and behind overlaid the scene like an afterimage. Instinct along with the impression of surprise and irritation pinging off her shields made her look up to the second story balcony. Several people leaned against the railing to watch the melee going on below. She couldn't tell which one the impression came from, but the certainty there was another thief if not wizard with ill intent up there propelled her forward. Trusting Loke to handle the first, she placed herself between them and this new enemy.

"Iron make claw!" shouted a man on the balcony. The glow of a magic circle flashed before a metal claw shot out from the spot attached to a rod.

Cindy hit the contraption with more bolts of electricity before she registered where it was aimed. Thrusting her other hand forward, she 'pushed' toward the approaching claw with as much strength as she could. As expected, she wasn't able to move it far. The claw shattered the glass case surrounding the Nexus Gem, but it missed the stone. The voltage traveled up the metal and hit the iron make mage, causing him to cry out at the same time the sound of exploding glass filled the room.

That appeared to be the moment the guests realized this was a real battle and not entertainment put on by the resort. The few groups of visitors in the exhibit hall began streaming for the exits.

"Mama Bear has teeth!" a rather small man standing next to the iron make mage crowed with a manic giggle as panicked vacationers streamed past. "This'll be fun."


	14. First Blood

Cindy's hand wrapped around the rings on her necklace. Loke had said to call for help if they were up against more than four, but he had his hands full with the wizard that reminded her of Juggernaut from X-Men back home without the stupid outfit. She'd gotten stronger in the past week, but would she stand a chance against two wizards on her own? She didn't think so. Hold her own for a few minutes maybe, but that'd be about it. Pressing down on the crystal, she pushed a call for help into it. Whether it would help or not, she had no idea, but Cindy dropped as much of her shielding as she dared and used the freed up energy to add a telepathic umph to the call.

The smallest of the attacking wizards hissed and shook his right hand. Glaring at Cindy, he ripped something off the hand and threw it to the side. She heard it ping against the floor as she dropped the rings and focused all her senses on the two wizards she faced.

The iron make wizard seemed a bit out of it still after the jolt he'd taken, but the little one was alert and angry. She caught an impression of him vaulting over the balcony railing a fraction of a second before he did it. Gathering another charge, Cindy ran for the spot where she'd seen him land.

"Two to three odds, and you call for help," the wizard spat. "You pathetic coward." Sneering, he threw his hands forward and yelled, "Storm Column."

Even with the split second warning afforded by the wizard's complete lack of natural shielding, Cindy couldn't shift her momentum to dodge the attack. She lashed out with a concentrated bolt toward the wizard and braced herself for impact. Blue electricity crackled past a swirling column of air.

Her excess weight helped for once, keeping her in contact with the floor as the winds pushed her back. Cindy closed stinging eyes and crossed her arms over her face to protect against the buffeting. The yelp followed by the smallest wizard calling her a rather foul name let her know her attack hit home as well. The winds passed, and while she was now almost to the staircase at the back of the room, she was still standing. Her opponent, on the other hand, had fallen, twitching, to his knees.

Being a weather mage put Cindy at a disadvantage battling indoors. She needed to be able to pull upon the natural elements to use her biggest spells like calling down actual lightning from the sky. The charges she could build within her body were low voltage and acted more like a taser. The effect was less devastating, but it was good for creating openings.

The wind mage's spastic movements eased. Groaning, his eyes snapped to her as she charged toward him again. "You'll pay for that, hag!" he raged. His expression was an twisted mask of hate as he pushed himself to his feet.

Focusing on the wizard's wide open mind, Cindy cast a sleep impulse graft on him. The wind mage sagged for a second, but the graft never took hold. Berating herself on being stupid enough to think something like that would work with the adrenaline of battle pumping through his veins, Cindy switched tactics.

They say fight fire with fire. Cindy couldn't control wind directly the way she did electrical charges she built up in her body, but she could induce them by playing with the temperatures in specific places. It was kind of a slow process for use in battle, but it was the only thing she could think to try unless she could get close enough to start throwing punches. So Cindy put measures in place that'd build up a downdraft aimed at the place where the wind mage was standing. She just had to keep him there.

Continuing her dash across the room, Cindy aimed a mental attack at the guy. It was wild, born of instinct and a nasty, half forgotten idea from years back. It was more or less a mental shove with no thought behind it but pain. The mage's head jerked back, and he let out a shocked yell. He stumbled back a couple of steps, but he didn't fall. Catching his balance, the mage pulled his head back up. His eyes were wide and glazed over, and rivulets of blood trickled from his nose.

"Air drill!" the wind mage screamed with a furious gesture in Cindy's direction.

The wind attack she'd set up moments earlier began to kick in, but the mage had stumbled back just out of range. Her own attack met with the wind mage's, shifting the angle from straight on to upward. The change wasn't enough for the attack to miss her, and Cindy knew it. Instead of a blunt, swirl of wind, this attack resembled a huge drill bit, and it was heading straight for her chest.

Shoving her arms forward, Cindy aimed a telekinetic push at the air drill, hoping to dull it if not dissipate the compacted air altogether. Elation washed over her as the sharp bit rounded, but the push didn't have near enough power to stop the other mage's attack. The impact was hard enough to knock the air out of Cindy. The strength of the hit along with the change in angle lifted Cindy off her feet and sent her spiraling.

Her hips smacked into something hard, and Cindy flung her arms out and back to try and catch herself as she began to drop. They caught the railing along the second floor balcony hard enough to go numb after a flash of intense pain, and she clung on through sheer stubbornness.

Movement near the hall entry caught Cindy's eye as she regained her bearings. The women from Mermaid Heel were running inside and joining the fray. Loke was still busy with the Juggernaut, but the larger man looked to be tiring. The other two women drew the attention of the wind mage, causing him to forget about her for the moment.

Cindy was trying to figure out how to get down without hurting herself when she caught a flash of light from another section of the balcony. The balconies of each floor wrapped around two sides of the exhibit hall before twisting into a grand staircase at the end of the room. She'd been thrown into the side perpendicular to the spot where the iron make mage remained. Focused as she was on the wind mage during the fight, she'd forgotten about him. No longer phased by her initial attack, he was back up and had conjured some kind of bladed weapon. He pulled his arm back to throw, and Cindy reacted without thinking.

Releasing the railing with her right arm, Cindy aimed a telekinetic push toward the iron make wizard with everything she had left, which wasn't much. She'd lost her grip on the railing the moment she first moved, and she fell sideways. Cindy hit the floor before she could see if her push made contact, and everything went black.

* * *

Loke ducked under a wild swing from the large wizard as Temina and Avary ran into the exhibit hall. He took advantage of his opponent's open gut to hit him with a reverse punch backed by a bit of his power. The hulking man crumpled in as he was propelled back a few feet.

"Help Cynthia," Loke called to the ladies as he charged toward his opponent again.

Something whizzed past his head. Loke jerked his head down on reflex as the wind displaced by the flying object ruffled his fight disheveled hair. The next moment he saw his opponent's eyes go wide as a dagger embedded itself in his shoulder. Never one to second guess good fortune, Loke grasped the handle and yanked the dagger free of the wizard's shoulder as he aimed an elbow toward the man's chest. The speed mage took advantage of his proximity to land a solid fist against the side of Loke's head.

His shades clattered to the floor, and Loke stumbled to the side. A horrible whistling sound reverberated around his skull as pain blossomed deep in his left ear. The speed mage didn't give him time to regroup. He rushed Loke, using his good arm to lift the smaller man by the neck and ramming him into the wall. With his feet dangling a good foot off the floor and a meaty hand crushing his neck, Loke couldn't breathe. He slashed with the dagger, but the larger man anticipated the move and caught his wrist.

Even with an injured shoulder, the speed mage slammed Loke's wrist into the wall with enough force to knock the dagger from his hand and send it skittering across the room. Taking advantage of the other man's long reach, Loke was able to bring his legs up and jam them into the speed mage's chest.

Loke fell to the floor as the other mage stumbled back trying to regain his breath. Struggling to pull in enough oxygen, Loke got back to his feet and twisted the lacrima on his favorite magic ring. His expression hardened as he called forth the spell he wanted.

"Weight of sins," Loke growled as he pounced, pouring every ounce of the guilt and shame he felt for the myriad sins he'd committed throughout the years to power the spell. When his next punch landed, it was magnified by the weight of the guilt he carried. Loke felt the wizard's collarbone shatter under his knuckles and shuddered. There was a reason he almost never used this particular spell, and it wasn't just the residual depression and negative self-talk he'd have to deal with for the next couple of days.

The speed mage went down, and this time, he stayed down. Between the exertion, stabbed shoulder, blood loss, and shattered collarbone, his body decided it'd had enough. He was out.

Still wheezing a bit, Loke turned to survey the rest of the hall. Temina was battling one wizard's wind magic with her water magic, and Avary was turning the other's creations against him with her variation of puppeteer magic. Where was Cynthia? He rounded the dais where the Nexus Gem was displayed, and a bit of dark blue caught his eye.

Loke rushed to where Cynthia lay in a crumpled heap. She groaned and began to stir as he neared.

"You okay?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

"Ow," Cynthia moaned. She eased one arm up and gingerly probed at the back of her head.

The fact they weren't bloody when she moved her hand back reassured Loke a bit, but her pupils were too dilated for his peace of mind. The commotion behind them picked up a notch. Loke glanced back to find Avary and Temina and their respective opponents all on the same floor with the women driving the men together with aggressive attacks. It had the look of a coordinated plan, so he turned back to his teammate, trusting the other team to finish off the would be thieves.

Cynthia tried to sit up, but from the waxy sheen to her complexion, it was obvious she was too weak to accomplish it. She gave up with a grimace and let her body go lax. "I pushed it too far, I think," she said.

"Looks like," Loke agreed. "I think you might have a concussion too."

"Considering this goose egg I'm developing, you might be right." Cynthia's speech came slow again, and she squinted against the lights overhead. "I feel like a worn out old dish rag."

The exhibit hall went quiet aside from the jeers of two rather familiar male voices. Loke looked back to see Avary and Temina managed to drive the remaining mages back-to-back before Temina captured them in a water lock. He grinned. Those things were nigh on impossible to get out of before you ran out of air, so it was just a matter of time, which was fortunate since Cynthia and the one he'd fought needed medical attention.

He turned back to Cynthia to tell her the good news only to find her eyes closed again.

"Hey, you can't sleep right now," he said. When she didn't stir, he shook her shoulder and tried again. "Cynthia, you need to wake up." Still no response. "Wake up!"

* * *

When she woke, Cindy was acutely aware of each beat of her heart. Her headache jolted from a four to a six on the pain scale with each one. Trying to breathe through the pain didn't help because the attempt to take a deep, calming breath in made her ribs ache on top of the headache and residual pain in her hips, back, and arms.

"You're awake!" exclaimed a rather hoarse sounding Loke.

There was some rustling from the vicinity of the table and chairs next to the room's window, and then Cindy found herself looking up at Loke's relieved face. The room was rather dim, and the lighting made for strange shadows.

"Not by choice," Cindy groaned. "Did we stop them?"

"Yeah," Loke answered as he sat down on the side of the bed. No matter how careful he was, the mattress shifting still jostled her, and Cindy tried her best to keep from reacting. He was trying, and she didn't want to guilt him on top of everything else. "Between the four of us, those guys never stood a chance."

"Three," Cindy protested. "You and the ladies from Mermaid Heel captured them. I just got myself knocked out."

Loke scowled at her remarks before a condescending expression smoothed over his features, and he reached to push up shades he was no longer wearing. A flash of annoyance crossed his face as he dropped his hand back down. "Mr. Renard, Avary, Temina, the security tapes, and I disagree," said Loke. "You don't verbalize spells, so it took a few watchings to understand what went on before the other ladies arrived. Yes, you lost, but it was a two on one fight against stronger wizards. The fact you held your own until help arrived isn't nothing!"

"Thank you," Cindy murmured, feeling herself blush.

Unable to continue looking the earnest youth in the eye, she concentrated on trying to sit up. The movement hurt, but it was the burning ache kind of pain you get with inflamed muscles and bruises. She moved slowly, fighting the urge to stretch or strain, but she didn't quite manage it. As soon as she "relaxed" into a sitting position, she knew she'd made a terrible mistake. Her headache eased for a fraction of a second before a tsunami of pain started in her neck and rolled over her head.

Cindy had experienced these kinds of headaches brought on by sudden shifts in blood pressure time and again over the years, but nothing made them suck any less. Every, single time she got a croupy cough or stretched too hard first thing in the morning or had a particularly bad asthma attack, it ended with a headache that felt like death coming for her. Within nanoseconds, Cindy was reduced to an inarticulate wretch. She threw her head back in an instinctive attempt to ease the pain even though experience taught her it wouldn't work, and her breath came in quick pants.

"What's wrong?" Worry colored Loke's voice, and he reached out like he believed she was going to fall backwards.

Cindy grabbed hold of his arms despite herself as she fought through the worst of the pain. Her brain felt like it was pushing against her skull, just like always when these things hit. She swore one day her head would just explode.

"Come on, Cynthia," Loke prodded. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Thunderclap headache," she managed to answer through gritted teeth as the pressure finally began to ebb. "Give me a minute."

Cindy slowed her breathing and closed her eyes, trying to force the muscles in her neck and shoulders to relax as her blood pressure tried to normalize. She could feel her hands and arms trembling in the wake of the adrenaline rush that accompanied the headache. Loke's weight shifted on the bed, and his arms twitched like he was trying to decide on an action to take to help. Once she felt she could move again, Cindy lifted her head before slowly rolling it from one side to the other. The pressure intensified for a moment with the movement before the stretch began speeding her recovery.

Letting go of Loke's arms, Cindy lifted her head to look at him again. "Sorry about that."

"What just happened?" The teenager's eyes were wide with surprise and no small amount of fear. "You looked like you were dying!"

"That was a thunderclap headache," Cindy explained. She lifted her right hand to her left shoulder and started trying to work out one of the knots there. "It kind of feels like dying, but thankfully, they're short lived."

Loke's eyes shifted down to where she was trying to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders. The fact the self-massage was doing nothing combined with embarrassment at the fact the teen was paying attention to the action caused Cindy to give up and drop her hand back down.

"That's what I get for being an uptight stick in the mud," she joked with as much of a shrug as she could manage.

"Headaches come with concussion," Loke said. Humming, he patted down over the various pockets in the cargo pants he favored until he found something. Loke opened the pocket and pulled a small vial out of it. He handed it to her. "The resort healer gave me those for you," he said. "You can take one every six hours for pain as needed."

Cindy lifted the vial more into the light to see it was filled with small, green pills. She thanked Loke and pulled back the covers, aiming to get up out of the bed. However, Loke stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh no you don't," he said with a shake of his head. "After what happened when you sat up, you're not moving until one of those has had a chance to start working." Loke stood and patted the shoulder he'd grabbed to stop her. "I'll get you some water."

Hurting too much at the moment to protest in any serious way, Cindy thanked him. While he found one of the glasses included with the room and went to fill it with water, she shook one of the pills out of the vial.

In all the time she'd been here, Cindy hadn't taken any of the medicines, at least of her own volition. Natsu had said something about Porlyusica giving her an anticonvulsant when she'd first arrived, but since then, she hadn't been sick or hurting enough to need anything aside from the store of Acetaminophen, antihistamines, and pain cream she'd kept in her purse. She wasn't sure how much she trusted the healers here, let alone ones she didn't know, but pain was radiating from her hips all the way up to the top of her head and back. As years of repetitive stress and a genetic predisposition to having bad joints took their toll, Cindy found ways to deal with ever increasing levels of background pain out of self-preservation. The result of her fall was more than she could ignore for now, and a glance at the clock told her she only had thirteen hours or so before their next shift would start.

"Here you go," Loke said. He took the vial from her and replaced it with the glass of water.

"Do these make you drowsy?" she asked as she took the medicine.

"It's different for every person." Putting the stopper back into the vial, Loke set it on her bedside table.

Cindy groaned. "It probably will then," she groused. "If I doze off, please don't let me sleep past three. Slow as I'm going to be moving today, I'll never get ready in time for our next shift otherwise."

"Don't worry about that," Loke laughed. "The hall was pretty trashed, so Mr. Renard closed the exhibit for the day to get everything cleaned up and repaired." He chuckled at Cindy's grimace. "Hey, it wasn't us doing the trashing for once," he said. "That was mostly the work of the Mermaid Heel and Sabertooth teams."

Cindy's forehead scrunched up in confusion. "The Sabertooth team came to help?"

Loke's laughter died off, and he frowned. "They're the ones we were fighting," he growled. "They hid themselves under a magical disguise and decided to hit the exhibit because they thought I'd be working alone."

"Really?" Cindy frowned. "The wind mage's mind was wide open. It was like he had no natural shielding at all, and that's what allowed me to get as much of an idea of what they were up to as I did." She tried to think back over the last few days and what she'd sensed from everyone, and the attempt ratcheted her headache back up a few notches. "Why didn't I get anything from Belvar before tonight?"

"Maybe the reading was obscured by the permashields," Loke suggested. "You started getting glimpses just after you tore them down."

"Maybe." The pain and stiffness in her back was becoming an issue the longer she sat up without moving, and she was afraid of inducing another thunderclap headache if she tried to get up at the moment. "My head hurts too much to think about this right now," she said. Cindy eased herself back down onto the bed.

"Careful now." Loke moved forward, reaching out like he intended to help her. "You don't want another of those headaches." His hands hovered a couple of inches away from her arms, seemingly unsure if support would help or hinder. Another step forward placed his face within a beam of early morning sunlight shining through the cracked curtains. With the added light, it became clear what Cindy thought were weird shadows were large bruises on the left side of his face and around his throat.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who had a rough time of it!" Cindy yelped. How could she have been so stupid? The boy just fought a juggernaut who was almost twice his size. He was good, sure, but any blows that landed would have been devastating. No wonder his voice sounded rough, by the looks of things, he'd been strangled. "Your throat."

Loke straightened back up, and he shrugged. "It looks worse than it is," he said. "My throat and the side of my face are a little sore, but I'll be back to my handsome self before we get back to Magnolia."

Cindy harrumphed and rolled her eyes, immediately making a mental note not to do so again for a while as the action hurt with her head still throbbing. "You're so full of yourself." She tried to sound stern and disapproving, but the effect was ruined by a rash of giggles she couldn't smother.


	15. Home Again

Word of what happened got around. Mr. Renard fretted over that fact as clean up went on, but he changed his tune as soon as he saw the size of the crowds when the Nexus Gem exhibit reopened. He'd allowed a couple portraitists to set up within the exhibit hall selling quick paint images of patrons with the stone by the following evening, for a percentage of their fee, of course.

For their part, the guild teams closed ranks and worked longer shifts to compensate for the reduced staff. This meant Cindy didn't have the same amount of time to research each day between sleep, training, and guard duty, so she was unable to finish studying the six books she'd borrowed. It was far less than she'd hoped to accomplish during the trip, but she was pleased with finally making some progress. And she believed she had an idea of where to focus her research.

Locating a celestial wizard was at the top of her list. The reality they connect to is vastly different from Terra, but it is still transdimensional magic. If she could understand how they make the connection and speak with an actual celestial spirit about their experiences during the crossing, maybe she could start piecing information together.

Before she could get started though, Cindy had several things she needed to attend to back in Magnolia. The call with Warren didn't go as well as Cindy'd hoped given her successes. He was worried about the reaction the permashields had to her magic, and Master Makarov had sent her one of the magical missives that projects an image of the sender within a matter of hours. He'd chewed her up one side and down the other for experimenting with her magic without the supervision of a more experienced telepathy wizard. For the next few weeks, she fully expected to find herself on cleaning detail for going against a direct order.

"You're going to scorch that blanket if you keep glaring at it," Loke teased from the seat across from her.

Cindy jumped and dropped the stitch she was working. She closed her eyes, breathing slow, and counted to five before picking the stitch back up. "Pyrokinesis isn't one of my talents, so far as I know," she answered.

"Did you write about it?"

Loke regarded her with his head tilted a bit in curiosity when she looked up from her work. Cindy sighed, and her eyes narrowed as she thought back over the manuscripts she'd written.

"I have characters with a similar skill, but I've never written its active use from their point-of-view," she answered after a moment's thought. She shrugged. "So I doubt I'll ever become immune to fire or able to change something's temperature other than the changes I can induce to create winds."

Silence fell back over the pair for a few minutes before Loke spoke again. "So," he said, drawing out the word. "Back to the original topic. What were you glaring about?"

Cindy pursed her lips and gave an irritated huff as she finished changing colors and started her next ripple. "I was thinking about some of the mess I'll have to deal with once we get back to the guild."

"It won't be as bad as all that," Loke said. He slouched down farther in his seat and tossed one ankle over the other knee. "We've all gotten a talking to or had to pull a couple unpleasant chores now and then."

"Yeah, but you're kids," Cindy grumbled. Her stitching picked up speed as her mood dropped another couple degrees. "I'm a bit old to be grounded. Written up, given a formal reprimand, or have my pay docked, sure, but…" She trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

"Cynthia, you're a grown woman, but you're a novice wizard," Loke said. His posture was as lax as ever, but his expression and tone were serious and carried a maturity beyond his years. "Master Makarov's version of treating a guild member as an adult when doling out punishment is...rough."

"He smacks 'em around, in other words," Cindy deadpanned.

"More or less." Loke nodded. "The stronger the mage, the tougher they are to injure."

"And magically speaking, I have the strength of a child."

"Not to put too fine a point on it, yes," Loke agreed. He dropped the foot he had slung over his other leg to the floor and sat up. "I wouldn't let it bother you, though."

"Why's that?"

"Strength comes with training and focus." The teenager grinned. "You've got focus in spades, as well as some impressive magical instincts, from what I've seen, to go with the martial arts training you did back home. Keep up the meditation and sparing on the regular, and you could probably match the average wizard your age in a few years."

Cindy frowned and dropped her focus back onto the stitching in her hands. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I'm not here to care in a few years," she mumbled.

"True."

She heard cloth rustle where Loke sat, and the shadow he cast on the floor of the compartment shifted. He bumped the side of her foot with the toe of his shoe. Cindy looked back up to find Loke leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and watching her with an expression she couldn't read. For the first time since she'd walked him through how to shield his mind from her, she wished she hadn't. Loke was one of those few people she had difficulty reading at the best of times, only 'hearing' bits and pieces when they were particularly open. Now he was a quiet spot in a noisy world.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here now," Loke said, "and I hope you can find a way home soon." Cindy thanked him, and he smiled back before sitting up again. "I would have done a bad job working this last request on my own."

Cindy laughed and shook her head as her hands returned to working on the blanket she was making. "That's because it wasn't a one man job," she said. "The request specifically asked for teams. Why'd you think you could handle it on your own?"

Loke's chuckle was uncomfortable, and he scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I missed that part," he admitted. "I've got to stop just skimming requests."

"Ya think?" Cindy rolled her eyes at him. Confidence was good, but running in blind out of laziness was asking for trouble. Then again, a bit of recklessness seemed to be a common trait amongst Fairy Tail mages.

"Anyway, it's not like I did much," she said with a shrug. "I just kept the two smaller ones busy for a couple of minutes until help arrived."

"Don't sell yourself short." Loke's expression turned mulish, and it reminded Cindy of the one Mira'd worn when she told her to shut up the day they'd accepted the request. "I saw the recordings. I know exactly what you did."

Cindy wasn't sure how to respond, so she did what she'd done for years when uncomfortable in a social situation. She let herself get absorbed in the crochet work she used as a crutch. Dropping her attention to the work in her hands, she started picking up speed as she started a second row on the latest ripple.

"You saved my life."

The statement was said so quietly, Cindy wasn't sure if she'd heard it right. Her hands faltered, and she dropped a stitch. Deciding she must have been hearing things, Cindy picked the stitch back up and kept working.

"Those guys weren't playing around," Loke continued.

Cindy slowed, but she didn't look up from her work. She scoffed and muttered, "No kidding," under her breath.

"You wouldn't have fallen off that railing if you hadn't let go in a hurry to cast a spell," he stated. "A spell that hit Elran's arm as he threw a dagger he'd made. A dagger that just managed to miss hitting me in the back."

Cindy kept stitching as well as she could with suddenly trembling hands, and she drew a shaky breath. "So that's what it was," she murmured.

"You didn't know?"

Looking up from her work, Cindy shook her head. "I had no idea what he'd made," she said. "I just saw the flash and reacted. I wasn't sure if what I'd done had any kind of effect." Running a hand over her face, she took another deep breath in an attempt to steady herself. She smiled at the teen. "I'm glad it did."

"Me too!"

The two lapsed back into silence as the train continued clacking down the track back to Magnolia. Finishing three rows with her third color, Cindy swapped back to the second.

The car they rode in was more or less empty aside from themselves and a couple of other passengers seated at the far end of the car, so it was quiet aside from the sounds made by the train. It was an interesting mode of travel that reminded her of driving the more worn parts of I-20 East back home between the sounds and slight jostling of the cars.

The thought made her frown. It was nearing the middle of May here, so it must be early November back home. Would Lee and the girls be planning to visit his extended family in Georgia for the holidays? Did they hope she'd come back to them, or had she been declared dead? She prayed time ran at least close to the same back home as it did here if not slower. Maybe the months being different was just a coincidence.

"Cynthia," Loke said.

His voice broke her out of her thoughts, and Cindy looked up to find him lounging all sprawled out on the opposite bench again. "Hmm?"

"Would you tell me one of your stories?" he asked.

"Why would you want to hear one of those?" Cindy winced at the crack in her voice.

Loke shrugged. "We've got another eight hours at least," he said. "And I don't remember ever hearing someone tell a story they wrote before."

Laughing nervously, Cindy said, "They ranged from eighty to ninety-five thousand words each." She shook her head. "You can't expect me to remember everything."

"I don't," Loke assured her.

"If you're sure."

Loke nodded.

"Okay." Cindy cleared her throat and shifted into a more comfortable position before settling back into her stitching. As her hands found their rhythm, she began spinning the story. "Centuries ago, a group of brave people looked to the stars for a better life…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Cindy caught sight of Loke closing his eyes and a small smile forming on his face as he listened.

* * *

Natsu trudged toward the guildhall with Happy curled up, snoozing on his head.

After he'd heard Aunt Cindy had gotten hurt on the job, he got so fired up to go teach those Sabertooth jerks a lesson, Gramps smashed him into the floor with a giant fist. Natsu was only allowed up when he agreed to the master's condition. Unfortunately, that involved a chore list that included restocking the storeroom, steam cleaning the infirmary, tracking down all the herbs and supplies Porlyusica needed, and clearing the east forest of every single forest vulcan. The last chore alone had taken him three days because those monsters changed their mind about where they were going every few minutes, making them difficult to track.

When they finished, he and Happy had been exhausted, starving, and covered in mud. They went back home to get a bath, eat, and sleep, but when they got there, the house smelled like Aunt Cindy. Natsu and Happy both cleaned up and went looking for her. Everything was freshly cleaned. The fridge was stocked, and her suitcase was unpacked. She'd clearly come home, but she wasn't in or around the house, meaning she was probably at the guildhall. So Natsu decided sleep could wait, and he'd eat at the guild.

Pushing the doors open, Natsu entered the hall. It was getting close to dinner time, so the place was busy with members coming in to eat or drink at the pub. The noise woke Happy, who stretched from his perch on Natsu's head. Although his adopted son/friend never clawed him, he flexed his toes when stretching the same as any other feline, and the nails pressed against his scalp. Natsu suppressed a shudder at the feeling, and Happy glided off his head a moment later.

He couldn't see Aunt Cindy anywhere, but Natsu began noticing a change in the food on people's plates. Since when had the guild's pub started offering chicken and dumplings, pintos and cornbread, or sweet potato pie?

"Hey, Mira?" Natsu asked as he slid onto a stool at the bar. "Who's cooking today?"

"Cindy is," Mira answered. "Isn't she doing a good job?" The barmaid giggled. "Everyone's loving the new dishes."

Natsu grinned. Aunt Cindy's recipes were simple but good. They were different from the everyday foods in Magnolia, and the fact his friends enjoyed them as much as he did filled him with pride for his auntie. "Oh yeah," he agreed. "In that case, can I get a plate of the dumplings with greens, pintos, and a slice of pie? And Happy'll have whatever fish you have in stock."

Nodding, Mira went into the back to get his order. A moment later, Happy landed on the bar, and his wings disappeared.

"Did you find Cindy?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's cooking today."

Happy's forehead scrunched up, and he asked, "Why?" He hopped down onto one of the stools. "I thought she was going to take regular wizarding jobs."

"Master forbade her from going on any more jobs until he and Warren say she has a handle on her magic," Mira explained as she came back out of the back with their order. "She was concerned about paying her way when she can't work, so Master decided she could give Gerda a break...at half pay."

"How bad did she get hurt?" Natsu went cold as worry washed over him. "He's never kept anyone from taking a job because they got hurt before."

Mira sighed. "It's not because she got hurt, Natsu," she said. "Master put her on restriction because messing with her mind magic like she did is dangerous and something he'd told her not to do without Warren's help."

"She was just trying to become stronger," Natsu scoffed.

"Mind magics aren't like fighting centered ability types," Mirajane grumbled. She stood straight, back ridged and fists planted on hips in anger. "Messing up wouldn't just give her a few bruises. She could have torn her mind apart or driven people around her out of theirs."

Natsu deflated. "I didn't know that," he mumbled and started scarfing down his dinner.

"Master doesn't tell us not to do something without reason," Mira insisted. "You and Cindy would do well to remember that." Her posture relaxed, and she picked up a cloth to polish the bar. "That said, Cindy's fine. She got a little banged up in the fight, but it was just some bad bruises and a mild concussion."

* * *

After they ate dinner, Natsu and Happy hung around the guildhall for a while. They caught up with their friends over drinks until someone decided it'd be a good idea to have an arm wrestling tournament. It started out well enough, but before long, it devolved into an all out brawl. A lucky punch sent Natsu reeling back just before a paper travel mug bounced off Droy's head and smacked Max in the face.

"That's enough."

The travel mug hadn't done any damage, but it'd gotten the attention of a few fight participants. Cindy's "angry mama" voice had the rest of the brawl petering out a moment later. She might not be the most powerful woman in the guild, but there was something about that tone that sent a chill down Natsu's spine. Seeing the faces of his guild mates, he thought it must be the same for them.

"I'm too old for this crap," she muttered under her breath. "Why don't y'all ever take it outside?" Cindy asked louder. She gestured to the room at large. Beers were spilled, tables and chairs were scattered and overturned, and at least one chair was splintered. "Just look at this mess!"

Turning angry eyes on the group, she growled. "You boys…" She looked at a sheepish looking Erza and Levy. "And girls, are old enough to clean up after yourselves." Cindy scowled and crossed her arms. "I'm going to go clean and close up the kitchen," she said. "I expect to find this guildhall spotless by the time I finish." Her scowl turned into an evil looking grin. "Or this cook won't be making any more desserts for at least a week."

"No more strawberry pie with whipped cream?" Erza squeaked. Her voice wavered, and Natsu swore she looked like she was about ready to cry. He almost laughed at how worked up she got over desserts, but the healthy fear he had of the requip mage made him keep his mirth to himself.

"Or any other sweets of any kind," Cindy answered with a shake of his head, "unless this hall is back to normal by the time I get back."

After that, she just walked right back into the back of the pub leaving Erza to force everyone to help out with the clean up. It was then Natsu realized his auntie had an evil streak, and she wasn't afraid to use it. Natsu half wondered if Mira had been teaching Cindy demon soul. Everyone knew most of the guild was scared of Erza, just like everyone knew Erza loved her sweets. It took someone truly evil to think of using Erza's love of sweets to turn her on her guild mates. If he wasn't one of the ones Erza was browbeating into cleaning, it'd be funny.

When everything was back to normal twenty minutes later, he had to admit, evil as her tactics were, they worked. Cindy finished up and came back three or four minutes later. She looked surprised for a split second before she gave them all a big smile.

"Thank you for cleaning up the mess you made," Cindy said. "I suppose I'll be just as busy tomorrow seeing as sweets aren't off the menu after all." She yawned. "But for now, it's closing time," she said and started shooing everyone out of the hall with Mira's help.


	16. Loke's Girls

Loke hadn't known what to think when Makarov banned Cynthia from going on any more jobs until he and Warren deemed her ready. He knew she'd face punishment for going against Makarov's orders, but he expected it to consist of performing unpleasant chores around town for a few days. Then, he'd planned to see if she'd join him on another job since they'd made a good team, and it'd been nice to have someone to talk with who was around the same age he felt. The fact their situations were similar didn't hurt matters either. Who knew how long it'd take for her to pass those two's tests?

After getting raked over the coals the evening before for his part in Cynthia's insubordination, namely not trying hard enough to talk her out of it, and the rash of questions from his guildmates that followed, Loke decided to avoid the guild for a day or two. He'd been away from his girls for a full two weeks, and he had plenty of jewel to last a while anyway. So, he made plans to spend time with his favorite ladies elsewhere in Magnolia instead.

That's how he found himself with a beautiful young woman draped over his lap enthusiastically trying to express how much she'd missed him.

"It's just not fair," Charissa pouted as she traced his collarbones with a dainty finger. "You just got back from one long mission, and then you went on another with almost no warning." The arm she'd wrapped around his shoulders to steady herself lifted, and she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging a bit as she reached the ends. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Do you feel neglected, beautiful?" Loke tightened the arm he'd wrapped around Charissa's waist, pulling her closer as he brushed her long, brown hair back with his other hand. "I'm here now." He shifted the hand in her hair to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

She seemed to melt against him as their lips met. Loke groaned in disappointment. Charissa was lovely, and once won, she was as devoted to him as she could be, but the spark in their relationship was beginning to wane for Loke. All the woman had ever known was Magnolia, and she didn't have a strong personality or ambitions beyond hearth and home. There was nothing wrong with that, but old as he was, it took more to hold his attention. What she wanted, he could never provide. Yet, she'd never done anything wrong, and he didn't want to break her heart because he'd developed the attention span of a squirrel when it came to romantic relationships.

Charissa must have mistaken his disappointed groan for one of pleasure, because she fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Loke enjoyed the flash of passion for a moment before his conscience began nagging. He pulled back, feigning the need to breathe, and pressed their foreheads together.

"It's the nature of a wizard's work," he said. "You know that as well as anyone." Leaning back once again, Loke let the hand he held at the back of her head travel to her shoulder and down her arm to her hip. He sighed. "How would you handle it if I made S-class? Those jobs can last years or even decades, not just a few weeks."

"Yes, but most wizards stay home for more than a few days before they take another job," Charissa said. She released his shirt and smoothed her hands over the wrinkles she'd made in it. "You work too much."

Loke rolled his eyes. "We've talked about this," he grumbled. "My home isn't going to pay for itself."

Charissa's jaw tightened, and her lips pressed into a thin line before she unwound herself from him and stood. "I don't see why you have to be in such a hurry!" She crossed her arms under her breasts and scowled down at him. "It takes everyone at least a decade if not two or three to pay off a mortgage. It's normal! Why work yourself to death trying to pay one off in a year or two?" Her expression shifted from anger to uncertainty, and she allowed her arms to fall back to her sides. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Wizardry is a dangerous profession, Charissa." Loke leaned forward and grasped one of her hands. Using it to pull her back to the couch, he encouraged her to sit beside him. "There's a reason most wizards retire in their late twenties. I don't have decades to pay off a home because there's a chance I could sustain an injury that forces my retirement on any given job."

"Then why take other wizards with you and have to split the rewards?" Charissa asked. "If it's so important to you to pay this place off as soon as possible, that seems counter intuitive."

"Is this about the Akane job?"

Charissa's expression made it clear she thought he was being particularly idiotic at the moment by asking such a question.

"The job request specified it was meant for a team of wizards," Loke said. He chuckled and shook his head. "I wouldn't have been accepted for the job if I'd applied alone."

A look of understanding bloomed on Charissa's face before it fell to a pitying expression. "Oh, my poor Loke," she crooned as she reached out and stroked the side of his face. "You got stuck with that ugly, old cow for two whole weeks."

Frowning, Loke leaned back and pulled Charissa's hand from his cheek. "That's no way to speak about a friend of mine," he said. "Cynthia's a good woman."

"Is that why she scowls at us and the others whenever we're at the guild?" Charissa asked. "I apologize for not having enough respect for a woman who shows such disdain for you and those you hold dear."

"I think you misread her."

"I think you don't understand women as well as you think."

* * *

"This is weird," Happy said from where he sat beside Natsu at one of the guild's many tables.

Nodding, Natsu agreed. The two's attention was focused on another table across the hall. Cindy sat across from Warren. Both mages sat with relaxed expressions and eyes closed, and they'd been that way for the last half hour since the breakfast rush slowed down.

"How can he call that trainin?" Natsu wondered. He scratched his head. "They're just sitting there doing nothing." Humming, he leaned his chin on his fist. "I mean, I can feel them gathering magic and all, but…" Natsu's voice trailed off.

"They're telepathy mages, Match-for-brains."

Natsu looked up to find Gray rolling his eyes. "Yeah, what's your point, Popsicle Breath?"

"You can't see a battle happening in someone's head."

"But they're not even making faces," Natsu protested. "Even if the fight's all in their heads, you'd think they'd be making weird faces, right?"

The smug grin Gray had been wearing a moment before fell, and his forehead scrunched up. "Huh. You might actually have a point there."

"I know, right?" Natsu said. It took a moment for him to process exactly what Gray had said and the tone he used, but when he did, it sent a flush of irritation through him. "Wait, you saying I can't be perceptive, you icy perv?"

"If the shoe fits, Pyro."

Irritation gave way to anger. Heat coursed through Natsu's veins in response, and he drew on his magic to ignite his fists. "At least I wear shoes, and clothes in general, Streaker!" He smirked. "Where'd yours go?"

Gray looked down and yelped to find himself in nothing but his boxers yet again. Natsu laughed as he watched the ice make mage scurry around looking for his lost items of clothing while cursing his stripping habit. A thump against his ear stopped his laughter. Not smelling or hearing anyone come near, the sensation confused Natsu, and he looked around for the source. No one was close by other than Happy and Gray, who were on his other side, and there was nothing on the floor that might have glanced off his ear. He looked back across the guild to the table where Aunt Cindy and Warren were "training" to find an irritated looking Cindy with her hand stretched out toward their table. Across from her, Warren was looking their way and giggling.

"Knock it off, or take it outside, Natsu," said Aunt Cindy.

* * *

Three days after he'd returned home from Akane, Loke met with Tsubaki and Emmy for dinner at his favorite cafe. The meal passed pleasantly as the three caught up. Tsubaki's flower stall was doing well, and she was excited. It was her first season working the stall on her own, and Loke was proud of her. Emmy had begun working in the local potion shop at the beginning of March, and the owner had begun teaching her how to brew some of the simpler elixirs while Loke was in Akane. She was having trouble with some of the techniques, but the woman loved a challenge. The thrill of learning something new that pushed her limits lit her eyes up like suns while she spoke about it.

Both women listened as Loke told them about his most recent job. Conversations with these two had far more give and take than those he had with Charissa. Whether it was their backgrounds, their more independent natures, or just their personalities, he didn't quite know, but Emmy and Tsubaki were more open and less possessive than his other girlfriends.

After their meal, the three walked back to Loke's place with the girls' arms linked through his.

"Charissa seems to think Cynthia looks down on the lot of us," he said after they'd walked in silence for several minutes. "Says she scowls whenever she sees me with you ladies."

"You know how protective Charissa can be," Tsubaki said. She leaned her head against his arm. Her short, black hair clung to the material of his jacket. "It messes with her perception sometimes."

Emmy gave an inelegant snort. "That's an interesting way of saying she sees insults and threats in everything, Tsubaki." She shook her head. "I'd put more stock in what you think, Loke. You're the one who worked with this woman. Did you ever get the sense she was judging you?"

Looking down into Emmy's upturned face, Loke thought the matter over. He pursed his lips and tilted his head as he thought. "I know something about my flirting and the fact I have several girlfriends bothers her," he said after a moment and returned his attention to their path. "But she never acted like she had a problem with me. We got along rather well, actually."

"I wouldn't worry about it then," said Emmy. She patted his arm with her free hand before curling it around his arm as well. "You said she's from another reality. Perhaps one of us reminds her of someone back home who is with someone else. Or her problem is with a taboo in her culture. Maybe she wasn't looking at any of us at all when she made that face. You can't know what's in someone's head unless they tell you."

Loke felt Tsubaki's head rub against his arm as she nodded in agreement. "If it truly bothers you, ask her, but I'd say trust your own reading of the situation."

Smiling, Loke unwound his arms from those of his girls to wrap them around their waists instead and hugged them close. "Thank you, ladies," he said.

The group walked on in easy silence. It was a clear, warm spring night. Loke had been out-of-town during the annual cherry blossom viewing, but a few blooms still remained on the trees as they passed through the park. The flowers glowed in the moonlight, and their scent lingered in the warm air.

Once the adrenaline rush of the battle with the trio from Sabertooth and relief of Cynthia waking faded, Loke began feeling the after effects of using Weight of Sins. He'd taken great pains to maintain the shielding she'd taught him to erect around his mind, but Cynthia didn't need her telepathy magic to sense the depression settling over him. Although she didn't put it in so many words, Loke could see recognition in her eyes. Certain expressions she held and her body language over the remainder of the week made it plain the woman was analyzing his words and reactions, looking for understanding.

She might not have understood the cause of Loke's shift in mood, but she'd done the best she could to be supportive. He half suspected it was the only reason she humored him when he'd asked to hear one of her stories on the way home. Hoping for a distraction and maybe a vague sense of the comfort a child might feel when hearing their parent tell them a story was most of the reason he'd asked. It'd helped for a time, but the nagging of his darkest thoughts returned again when the story was finished.

The beauty of the night and the company of his girls buoyed his spirit, but he knew this too would fade. As the days wore on, Loke began to feel a need he'd only experienced a few times in his long life. He wasn't sure if it would help for more than a few moments, but it was worth trying.

Tsubaki's home was just on the other side of the park, and Loke wasn't sure whether she'd want to continue back to his home or go to her's considering what he planned to ask for this evening. So he knew he'd have to speak up soon.

"Emmy," he said, turning his head to look at the woman. "Do you think we could switch how we usually play tonight?"

She jolted and looked up at him with wide eyes. "But you never!"

"Almost never, yeah," Loke agreed.

Emmy stumbled over what to say for a moment before she managed to stammer out, "Okay. Sure."

Loke whispered his thanks and kissed her temple before turning to Tsubaki. "Is that okay with you?" he asked. "I understand if you'd rather go home tonight."

Tsubaki shook her head. "I don't mind, and it won't make me think differently of you," she said. "I'll leave it up to Emmy." Tsubaki leaned around Loke to arch an eyebrow at the other woman.

"I've never…" Emmy trailed off, stumbling over what she wanted to say again. "Never with two," she squeaked.

Loke squeezed her in reassurance and murmured in her ear. "No pressure, love. We won't be offended either way."

Emmy leaned into the embrace and buried her face against Loke's side. After a couple moments, he could feel her shift to peek around him at Tsubaki before looking back up at him.

"I can try," she said.

* * *

After what'd happened the first time Natsu watched one of Aunt Cindy's training sessions with Warren, he'd decided to take a job in the next town over. He and Happy hiked there and back, and the job itself had taken a day and a half, so it took them almost four days altogether. Word around the guild was Loke seemed determined to avoid the guild as he courted his gaggle of girls all over town, so Natsu was a bit surprised to find the womanizer sitting around laughing with Gray and Cana when he got back. Eyes narrowing, Natsu marched over to the table the three shared.

"Hey, Loke," he said as he got close. The other man turned to face him, and Natsu aimed a punch for his jaw. Having seen Loke fight before, Natsu was shocked he didn't block or dodge the blow. Instead Loke sat there and took the punch, and the force of it snapped his head to the other side. "You're supposed to look out for a guildmate you're taking out to show the ropes, not let them get pummeled watching your back."

Natsu ignored Gray and Cana's shouts of protest at him socking their friend in the jaw as he glared down at the other wizard. Loke rubbed his jaw as he turned back to face Natsu.

"You're right," Loke agreed. "I'm sorry she got hurt, Natsu."

"What are you apologizing for?" Gray asked. "You didn't 'let' her do anything. Cindy did her job, just like you did yours." The ice make mage turned on Natsu. "Why don't you stop treating Cindy like a kid and put a little faith in her, you mouth breather?"

"She's just learning," Natsu shot back. "Would you let a beginner take on jobs?"

"Master says she's strong enough," Cana said. "He should know."

"Then why's he not letting her go on them now?"

"Because she disobeyed him, you idiot!" Gray growled and stood from his seat.

"It's okay guys," Loke said. He motioned for Gray to sit back down. "Natsu's just looking out for his family. I'd do the same in his place."

Gray slid back onto the bench, and Mira dropped the shirt he'd shed when gearing up for a tussle with Natsu into his lap as she walked by carrying empty tankards. Gray continued glaring at Natsu between shooting concerned glances at Loke. Wondering why the other man would be concerned about Loke reminded him about the man's strange behavior.

"That why you just took the punch?" Natsu asked.

"Something like that," Loke muttered with a nod. "Feel better?"

"For a second there," Natsu said. "Kinda takes the fun out of it when you don't fight back though."

"I'll remember that," Loke laughed.

"Don't act like there'll be a next time." Natsu scowled. "Cindy's family. If she teams up with anyone, it ought to be with me and Happy."

"Aye," Happy agreed.

Loke's laughter died. "That's up to her," he said.

"Yeah man," Gray agreed. "She might be your aunt or whatever, but that doesn't mean you get to make decisions for her. That's messed up."

"Why wouldn't she?" Natsu asked. He plopped down onto the bench a couple feet away from Loke, and Happy settled on the table between Natsu and Cana. "We're awesome."

"Maybe because you lose half your pay to repair bills?" Cana said. She set her empty tankard aside and picked up a new one, downing it in one go.

"Or she wants to focus on the job instead of constantly having to rein you in," Gray broke in.

"They've got you there, Natsu," Happy giggled.

"Not you too, Happy!" Natsu whined with a pout. "Some friend you are, you traitor."

"Awe, I was just teasin." Happy stood up and patted Natsu's head.

Natsu gave his "adopted son" a halfhearted glare before shrugging off his guildmates' teasing. He focused on the sounds coming from the kitchen and took a deep sniff. Cindy's scent still lingered in the area, but it was faded. And, he didn't recognize the cook's voice.

"Where is Aunt Cindy anyway?" he asked.

"She had some trouble in the kitchen earlier," Cana said. "Broke a bunch of dishes or something." She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and shrugged. "Master sent her home."

Natsu didn't think he let the spike of worry he felt show, but he must have because Loke asked, "Wasn't she there?"

Shaking his head, Natsu answered. "No, at least not when we went by to drop our stuff off."

"You don't think a monster got her?" Happy's eyes were wide, and his voice went squeaky with worry.

"I didn't smell any monsters in the forest when we went through," Natsu assured the cat.

"She probably just went shopping," Gray suggested as he pulled on the shirt Mira dropped in his lap. He rolled his eyes. "You two need to calm down."

"Yeah," Loke agreed. "Cynthia's neither helpless nor stupid. I'm sure she's just fine and will be back home once she's finished whatever errand she went on."

Natsu felt like a heel. Cindy might not be as strong as he was, or even as strong as the ice princess, but she was a Fairy Tail wizard. She could handle herself, and she was probably back at the house already cooking dinner. The thought made Natsu's mouth start watering as he remembered how hungry he was after hiking all day. He looked at Happy, and judging by the bit of drool running down the side of his chin, he figured Happy thought the same.

"You're probably right," Natsu said as he got up from the table. "I bet she knew we'd be coming home and went to buy you some fish, Happy."

"Yeah." Happy summoned his wings and shot up into the air. "Let's go home and help her unpack the groceries," the cat chirped.

"More like eat 'em," Gray mumbled.

"That's what groceries are for, Dummy," Happy teased back, "especially fish!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to stick with the four girls we see come to the guild all upset about Loke dumping them during the Loke arch for his gaggle of girlfriends. I know at least one was drawn a bit differently in the episode where we first see him, implying he's a love 'em and leave 'em type, but that doesn't seem to jive with everything else we know about his character. Therefore, I've decided to write it as him having four steady girlfriends, who all know about each other at least. So when I write about the girls, they're one of those four. The idea is more or less based around the structure of a lion pride given Leo is a lion spirit and likely to have the same kind of subconscious instincts as the big cat.


	17. Dancing Around the Subject

Sunlight streaming through the window woke Natsu the next morning. Grumbling, he rubbed his eyes. They itched and burned, feeling like they'd dried out through the night, and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Blinking bleary eyes, he clambered out of his hammock and shuffled to the bathroom. He was a bit more coherent after washing his face, which relieved the overwhelming dryness of his eyes, and he went looking for Happy and Aunt Cindy.

The others had been right the night before. When he and Happy got back home, there was a stew simmering on the stove and a loaf of bread baking in the oven. Cindy was up in a chair, hanging bundles of herbs from the rafters to dry. They'd been relieved to find her home again and got distracted by the food, so neither one had remembered to ask what happened at the guild or where she'd been.

No matter how often he overslept after spending a few days camping, it still managed to surprise him. Shaking his head in a futile attempt to clear it, Natsu wondered if he forgot this drugged feeling on purpose. If he remembered how horrible he'd feel once he got back from a job where he and Happy camped, he'd never do it again without having a team at least. The problem was he was too aware of how dangerous the wilds could be to really sleep, no matter how many days they traveled. Maybe having someone to trade shifts keeping watch with would let him do more than doze, but he never seemed to remember that notion until it was far too late.

Cindy's scent seemed more faded than it ought to be, and he couldn't hear her moving about in the bedroom. He was content with the hammock he'd strung up in the living room years ago, and he'd forgotten the house even had a bedroom. So when she'd cleared the room out a week or so after she arrived, Natsu insisted she take it. He tended to keep weirder hours than she did, and with her having a room of her own, he didn't have to worry about waking her up those times when he came in late at night or left several hours before dawn.

"Aunt Cindy?" he called.

"She left for the guild an hour ago," Happy said from where he was curled up in a patch of sunlight. He stretched in that languorous way cats have as he got up. "She left you a plate in the oven for breakfast."

"How bad did I oversleep?" Natsu scratched his head as he meandered into the kitchen.

"Sunrise was about two hours ago," Happy said. He trotted over to the table and hopped up on his chair.

"She left early," Natsu murmured to himself. Opening the oven, Natsu found a plate with eggs scrambled with vegetables, hashbrowns, and sausage. The food had gone a bit cold, so Natsu called his magic to his fist, allowing it to ignite, and held it over the plate. "Did she have breakfast shift?"

Happy shook his head. "She said something about training."

Nodding, Natsu accepted the explanation and tucked into his now warm breakfast. "Aunt Cindy sure is serious about training now," he said around a mouthful of food.

"Well, she can't work until Master says so," Happy said. "You know how she is about paying for her own stuff."

"Yeah." Natsu began scarfing his food down even faster. He finished in record time and put the dish in the sink to wash later. "Come on. Let's go help her."

The two locked up and set out for the guild down the path they'd cut through the forest. It was a bright, sunny morning in mid-May. This early in the day, there was still a slight chill to the air, and a light fog was fading as it warmed. By lunchtime, it'd be pleasantly warm, but knowing Cindy, she'd still throw that sweater of hers on before she left the guild. The thought made Natsu chuckle. The woman loved the heat so much, it was a wonder she wasn't a fire mage.

Not quite halfway down the path through the forest lay a small clearing Natsu made the year before to use when he trained. Gramps didn't appreciate him using his magic inside the guild much because he did have a habit of setting stuff on fire, so clearing out a bit of the forest made his life a lot easier. As Natsu and Happy neared his training area, Natsu began hearing the sounds of a fight. Confusion and a bit of worry caused Natsu to hurry in that direction. So far as he knew, Cindy and Happy were the only other people who knew about his training spot.

"What's the matter?" Happy asked as Natsu took off at a trot.

"Someone's fighting," Natsu said.

He caught their scents several feet from the break line. Natsu didn't know what would have brought Loke out here, but he didn't think a member of the guild would actually hurt his aunt. So he slowed down and listened hard as he approached. Now that he was paying closer attention to the sounds of the scuffle, Natsu could tell the blows were barely landing. What was the point in that?

"You're slow this morning," Natsu heard Loke comment as he got close enough to start catching glimpses of the pair through the trees.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cindy snarked as she blocked a punch. "My sparing partner just up and vanished for a week."

Natsu snickered at the face Loke made in response. The two continued trading blocks and strikes back and forth. It was the slowest Natsu had ever seen Loke fight, and it was the first time he'd seen Cindy spar at all. She was better at it than he thought she'd be, but why weren't they using magic?

"Sorry," Loke said after he dodged a kick. "I got a bit distracted."

Cindy scoffed. "I figured you'd just got tired of humoring a rusty old woman."

She blocked a punch Loke aimed for her nose and used the same move to grab his wrist. Ducking under the arm, she sidestepped around him and pulled up. Loke winced, but whatever Cindy tried to do didn't work. Instead of counter attacking, Loke shook his head, which Cindy seemed to take as a cue to release his wrist. He corrected her form, walking her through what she'd done wrong. He had her try the move again, and this time Loke was thrown over. The ring wizard got back to his feet and dusted himself off.

"I agreed to help you get back up to speed," Loke said. He chuckled as he shook his limbs out. "And you've shown me a few new moves in that Terran style of yours." Loke stuck his hands in his pockets and slouched a bit. A half grin tipped up one side of his mouth as he looked the older woman in the eye. "I've never had a regular sparring partner," he said. "I kinda like it."

Cindy's brow scrunched up, and her head tilted to the side. "Wasn't sparing part of your training?"

Loke shook his head. "It was a bit more sink or swim than that."

Cindy winced, and the two started heading Natsu's way. It was only then he noticed the big, green jacket and ugly over-sized sweater sitting on the bolder he used like a chair when he needed a breather.

A confusing swirl of emotions bombarded Natsu, and he didn't know what to do. Normally a barrage of emotion like this would make him want to go and pick a fight with the nearest wizard, but it wasn't this time. It felt like something was squeezing his chest and tugging on his heart at the same time. The only thing he knew for sure at that moment was he didn't want Cindy and Loke to know he'd been eavesdropping on them, so he turned and left as quickly and quietly as he could.

"Why didn't you say anything to Cindy?" Happy asked, swooping down from a nearby tree. "She and Loke were done sparring."

"I don't think Cindy wants anyone to know she's training to fight," Natsu said after a few moments thought. He and Happy made it back to their main trail and hiked on toward the edge of the forest.

"Why wouldn't she?"

Natsu shrugged. "Don't know," he said. "But she's kinda weird about stuff like that. Remember how she was when Gramps started teaching her how to use her lightning?"

"Yeah," Happy said. "She didn't want to do it at all because she didn't want to hurt anyone." The cat's wings disappeared, and he landed on the trail. Turning around and walking backwards, he said, "She must have changed her mind after what happened on her first job, huh?"

"Looks like," Natsu agreed.

Happy turned back around, and the pair walked in silence for a while. Natsu frowned at the strange feeling in his chest that wouldn't go away.

"Why'd she ask Loke to train with her and not me?" He said it so quietly, he might as well have whispered the question, but Happy's ear twitched toward him anyway. Even though Happy didn't say anything right away, that movement let Natsu know he'd heard. "Doesn't she trust me?"

"I don't think it's that at all," Happy said. He turned big eyes up to Natsu as they neared the edge of the forest. "Loke said something about her teaching him a couple things too, and she said she was rusty. I think Cindy might have learned how to fight a long time ago, and Loke's way of fighting is just more like hers than yours is."

"You think so?"

"Aye." Happy nodded as they broke the treeline. He smiled. "I bet she wants to surprise you with how strong she gets or something."

The squeezing in Natsu's chest eased, and he grinned as he thought about what Happy said. "Yeah, I bet you're right, lil buddy." He looked up ahead where the guildhall waited. "Let's go find another job to pass the time until she's done training."

"Aye sir!"

* * *

Cindy felt about ready to climb the walls heading into the second week of her restriction. The day Makarov had her handle the month's filing and scheduling appointments was a welcome break from kitchen duty, but just as he'd predicted, she finished in a matter of hours. That said, it wasn't like kitchen duty was horrible. She'd always liked to cook, and it was kind of fun introducing her new friends to old family recipes from back home. It was rough on her hands though. Despite the warming temperatures, her wrists and knuckles ached after long days preparing vegetables, stirring, lifting, and carrying.

At least Porlyusica had given her a clean bill of health and pointed her in the direction of an apothecary who would have the medicinal oils she needed to make a fresh batch of her pain ointment. The cream eased her hands overnight, and with the healer's confirmation she hadn't done any permanent damage to herself experimenting with her brand of telepathy, she was much closer to being given the all clear. Warren had even admitted what he knew of telepathy magic didn't seem to react well with her innate magic. Although similar, the mechanics of what they did differed so much, they had difficulty translating what they were doing. The news didn't please Makarov in the least, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. So now instead of Warren leading her through different techniques, she was allowed to experiment on her own while paying the guild's healer visits on the regular to check for ill effects.

Her days were filled with training sessions, shifts in the hall's kitchen, and the usual chores and what not. She had managed to get down to the guild's library a time or two. She found a few books that spoke about other realities, and she'd spoken with Makarov and Porlyusica on the subject as often as she dared. Frustration with a lack of useful information only served to fuel Cindy's restlessness. She'd been in this strange world for two full months already, and she felt no closer to a way home than she was the day she woke in Earthland. The sooner she was cleared to take on requests, the better. There had to be something out there that could help her get home. She just had to find it.

Loke's disappearing act the first week of her restriction had hit Cindy harder than she could have anticipated. He was a good kid and someone she was beginning to consider a friend, which felt kind of weird. Sure she'd been something of an "age camelion" growing up as an outlier to two generations as she did. Her parents had been one of the first to start having children among their group of friends, so all the other kids were either years older than her or several years younger. She learned how to fit in with whichever group she found herself in quick, so she wouldn't be left all alone. She'd gravitated toward the older group more often because the younger ones were so much younger, she was obligated to babysit them more than join in the games. Loke reminded her of herself that way. He acted younger at the guild, surrounded by other teenagers, than he had while they were in Akane. Still, she barely knew the young man, so the fact she felt kind of hurt when he began avoiding the guildhall surprised her.

He'd come back several days later and slid into an empty seat across from her while she took her lunch break. After a few minutes of uncomfortable small talk, he'd asked if she wanted to resume their daily sparring matches in the mornings. She'd agreed, and they decided on using the clearing Natsu had shown her several days after she arrived in Earthland. It wasn't until they'd begun that first match that Cindy realized she'd missed the camaraderie they'd developed in Akane. Despite the gap in their ages and a myriad of differences between them, they worked well together.

Cindy thought she'd felt Natsu's presence for a minute during that first match, but he hadn't been anywhere around. He and Happy were already at the guild and accepting another job request when she arrived at the hall, so she figured she must have noticed them passing the clearing on their way in. The two were gone again for six days, and they were exhausted and starving when they returned last night. She'd come to realize such was the norm when it came to those two and traveling, so she'd begun preparing ahead when they sent word home they were returning.

It was raining and several degrees cooler when Cindy woke up than it'd been the night before. Her joints felt stiff with the shift in weather, and her foot ached where she'd broken it during a self-defense class back in college. Yet, she smiled as she hobbled about the first few minutes until she'd worked the stiffness out. She'd sensed the shift in weather the day before, and this time she'd managed to pinpoint the changes coming. No matter how often she'd written about that aspect of the weather mage's abilities, using it was far different than anything she'd described. For weeks, Cindy thought she'd never get the hang of differentiating between the subtle sensations, but with practice and the volatile weather of spring, her skills were improving.

Cindy got cleaned up and dressed for the day before making her way to the kitchen. Happy was already up and about. He looked up from the dish of raw mackerel he'd gotten for himself and wished her a good morning.

"You're up early," Cindy said as she prepared a pot of coffee. "I thought you'd sleep through half the morning with as late as you and Natsu got in last night."

"The floor got cold and woke me up," Happy pouted. "And I couldn't get back to sleep with Natsu's snoring."

"I told you I thought it was going to get cold overnight." Cindy set the coffee to steep and began gathering her ingredients for breakfast. "Of course, my predictions have been rather hit or miss…"

"Oh yeah, you are a weather mage, right?" Happy perked up. "I bet you could send this nasty ol' rain away and make it warmer."

"I don't know if I'm that strong yet, Happy." Cindy frowned as she mixed up a batch of biscuit dough. "Even if I am, that doesn't mean I'm going to go around messing with the weather any time it doesn't suit me." She flicked a speck of the dough at Happy. "Or you two."

The cat scrunched his face up as the speck landed on one of his whiskers before primly cleaning it away. "Why not?"

"It's an irresponsible thing to do," Cindy answered. She rolled and cut the biscuits as she explained. "Weather is created by a complicated, global system of variables. You can't change the weather in one place without causing changes everywhere, and the more you play with it, the worse the effect."

"So if you made it warm and sunny instead of cold and rainy, you could mess up the weather all over the place?"

Cindy nodded.

"What good is being a weather mage then?"

"I wrote it as a way to mitigate severe weather just enough to lower casualties and property damage done," Cindy explained as she put the biscuits in the oven and began pounding a few chicken cutlets out thin. She sighed. "In practice, I don't know. I'd have to do a lot more research on the mechanics behind weather patterns and their interactions before I'd risk doing anything large scale." She grinned and looked back at Happy. "It's kinda nice having a sense of what the weather's going to do though, especially if I can get good at figuring out what it all means."

"I guess so," Happy agreed. He finished eating his breakfast, and summoning his wings, he flew his dish back over to the sink. "Natsu can smell a storm coming, and that's kept us from getting caught out in the rain a couple times."

Cindy chuckled. "So could Papa, Auntie D, and Mama," she said. "Well, they could smell rain blowing in if it'd been dry for a long time. Couldn't tell if it was going to be a storm or just a little shower though."

"They could?" Happy landed on the counter and watched her finish preparing the chicken before tossing it in the pan.

"There's this smell that gets kicked up when raindrops hit really dry ground," Cindy explained. "It's called petrichor. It's sharp and fresh and just a bit earthy. Once you learn what it is, you'll never forget it. Nothing else smells like it."

The chicken sizzled in the pan, and they could hear Natsu begin to stir as the smell of coffee, baking biscuits, and chicken filled the house.

"Every now and again, you can catch a hint of ozone along with petrichor," she continued. "When that happens, it's a pretty safe bet there's an electrical storm coming, but it's rare to smell it before you see the lightning or hear thunder in the distance."

"How do you know so much about rain and storms?" Happy asked.

Cindy turned the pieces of chicken in the pan, so they could cook on the other side. "I come from farming stock," she said. "Where I'm from the summers are hot and dry, and the spring and fall can bring floods and tornadoes. You learn to pay attention to the weather because ignoring it can mean anything from a failed crop to your own death."

"Is that why you're always so cold?"

Cindy laughed. "I suppose so," she said, "at least to some degree. It's the middle of May, but it feels like it would in March back home." She shrugged. "I've always 'run cold' though because my blood pressure tends a bit low. It's something I got from Mama."

Taking the first couple pieces of chicken out of the pan, Cindy added the next couple. "Are you going to want a chicken biscuit too, or did the fish fill you up?"

"I'll take a piece of chicken if we have enough," Happy answered. The tip of his tail twitched, and he folded his ears down against his head. "The biscuits taste good, but they make my tummy ache."

"Of course we have enough chicken," Cindy said. She sat her fork down and scratched Happy behind the ears. The cat leaned into the scratch, and a purr sounded deep in his chest. "Don't feel bad about not wanting a biscuit," she continued. "If I'd known they didn't agree with you, I wouldn't have mentioned them. I don't want you to eat anything that makes you sick."

"You're still here," Natsu commented as he shuffled into the kitchen. "Later shift today?"

Cindy washed her hands after scratching Happy and returned to cooking the chicken. "Same shift," she answered. "But my morning training got rained out."

"I thought Warren wasn't training you anymore." Natsu pulled one the chairs out from under the table and plopped down.

"He's not," Cindy said with a shake of her head. She removed the cooked chicken from the pan and added the last batch. "Loke and I started sparring in the mornings again. We've been using your training area. I hope you don't mind."

"Course not," Natsu said. "That's what it's for."

His tone sounded neutral, but Cindy was hit with a wave of irritation and a bit of jealousy from the teen. She frowned.

"What's bugging you then?" she asked.

"Why Loke?"

Sighing, Cindy turned around and leaned against the counter as she regarded Natsu. "Resuming martial arts training isn't something I thought about until the client asked about our magic when we got to Akane," she explained. "I only got the idea when Loke mentioned he relied on his training before his magic. The job was for two weeks, and we had the mornings free. So I asked if he'd help me get back up to speed. He agreed, and it turns out our styles are similar."

"Why don't you train with me and Happy sometimes though?" Natsu asked. "I bet we could help you get stronger faster than that loser."

Cindy arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not everything's a competition, Natsu," she said. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep up with your kind of training."

"What do you mean?" Natsu's brow furrowed, and he scratched his head.

"I'm past my prime." Cindy knew her expression must have gone sadder than she'd thought because of the pulse of concern from Natsu. She shrugged and turned back to the chicken, flipping it over to brown on the other side. "I'm at a point in my life where my strength is going to start fading, not grow, and that's something I need to keep in mind."

"Nah," Natsu argued. "You're still plenty young. You just need to train harder, maybe lift some weights or something."

Cindy laughed. "Maybe." She pulled the tray of biscuits out of the oven and set them on the counter to cool. "I've seen you spar with our guildmates, Natsu. You're a brawler. While you might not be big, you take after your Pops. You're a lot stronger and pack more of a punch than someone would think based on your size alone."

She plated up some of the chicken for Happy and the lion's share of the rest for Natsu. "I'm the same, to an extent, but I got your Nana's joints. If I rely on pure power, I'm going to do more damage to myself than my enemies." Cindy set the boys' plates in front of them before returning to the stove to plate up her own breakfast.

"Loke and I have studied a way of fighting that turns someone's strength against them. I dropped it right around the time Lee and I got engaged though, because I didn't have time for it." She took her plate to the table and sat down to eat. "You forget a lot in thirteen or fourteen years, and having someone who hasn't forgotten everything help you out makes remembering a lot easier."

"So that's why you didn't ask us to train with you?" Natsu asked between bites.

"Yep," Cindy agreed.

"Huh." Natsu looked thoughtful for a moment as he chewed. "I guess that makes sense. I still think we ought to go on jobs together though." He tore into his third chicken biscuit.

"We'll work one together once Makarov lifts my restriction," Cindy said. "Deal?"

"Deal," Natsu agreed around a mouthful of food. Bits of his breakfast sprayed across the table.

"Mouth closed, please sir," Cindy admonished.

Shoulders slumping a touch, Natsu finished chewing and swallowed his food before answering. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

Loke had climbed halfway out of bed before he noticed the patter of rain outside the window. He rubbed tired eyes with the back of his hand as he went to the window and squinted through the droplets clinging to the glass. Water gathered in puddles where the cobblestones had settled, and the sky was an overcast gray.

He yawned and turned back to the bed. With weather like this, he wouldn't be training with Cynthia this morning, so what was the point in getting up so early?

Settled under the covers once again, Loke wrapped an arm around Mei's waist and curled himself around her. He nuzzled into her tawny hair and let sleep claim him once more.

* * *

Although the past couple of weeks, spent with his girls and his friends from the guild, were pleasant, Loke found himself growing restless as the days wore on. Ironically, it was the restful nights spent in the arms of his girls feeding the wanderlust. With sleep, his strength returned, bringing pent up energy with it. He needed an outlet, or he'd go bonkers. So once Mei left for her shift at the boutique, Loke headed for the guild to grab some lunch and look for a job to take.

"What can I get you?" Mirajane asked when he walked up to the bar.

"I'll have whatever's on special."

Mirajane nodded and went back into the kitchen to retrieve his food. Loke turned around and leaned back against the bar as he surveyed the hall, looking for someone to visit with as he ate. He shook his head as he spotted Cynthia, once again, sitting by herself in a back corner while she ate her lunch.

"Keep hiding in a corner, and people'll start thinking you're antisocial," he teased as he slid into the chair opposite her at the small table.

"People think what they want to think," Cynthia shrugged. She picked at the salad sitting in front of her. "I'm not going to live trying to mold others opinions of me. That's a good way to drive yourself to an early grave."

"True," Loke conceded. "So, why do you always try to hide in a corner when you take your breaks?"

"Because I'm more comfortable eating alone."

"Is that why you haven't taken a single bite since I sat down?" Loke leaned his elbows on the table and propped his chin on his hands. "We ate together for almost every meal in the field."

Cynthia blushed. She speared a bite of greens with more force than necessary and gave him a halfhearted glare. "And you apparently never noticed I was uncomfortable then too," she said. "What's your point?" Cynthia looked away and resumed eating.

"I thought it was just me."

Their conversation was interrupted by Mirajane delivering Loke's plate. His mouth started watering at the smell of fresh fish. He wasn't sure what the little golden brown balls sitting at the edge of the plate were, but the fish, green beans, and baked potato looked wonderful. He thanked Mirajane.

"My pleasure," Mirajane answered. She turned her attention to Cynthia. "We're running low on the hush puppies," she said. "People keep ordering extra."

"I ought to have known." Cynthia shook her head. But she was grinning, and her tone held humor. "I'll make a fresh batch as soon as I finish my lunch."

"Take your time." Mirajane giggled and winked at the both of them before heading back to the bar.

Cynthia's forehead scrunched in a look of utter confusion. "What was that about?" she muttered.

A sense of foreboding solidified in Loke's gut as soon as he'd seen the twinkle in Fairy Tail's most notorious matchmaker's eye, and the wink she'd given them did nothing to ease it. "Not sure," he lied.

Time to change the subject. "What's a hush puppy?"

Cindy startled and turned her attention back to him. "Oh, those are hush puppies," she said, pointing to the side dish he hadn't recognized. "In their most basic form, they're fried balls of cornbread. My recipe calls for minced onion and a few other spices."

"You know, it worries a person when a cook doesn't eat their own food," he teased as he cut into the fish.

"I made a big breakfast for the boys and myself this morning since our sparring session got rained out," Cynthia explained. "I didn't want anything that heavy."

"Your prediction was spot on this time."

"Once is luck, but yeah." Cynthia grinned. "I'll put more stock in my senses once I can manage three accurate predictions in a row."

"I sense a saying behind all that somewhere." Loke picked up one of the hush puppies and popped it in his mouth. "These are good," he commented once he'd finished chewing.

"Thanks," Cynthia said once she'd finished her own bite of salad. "And yes, it's once is luck, twice a coincidence, and three times is skill."

Their meal continued much the same. He asked after Natsu and Happy, who it turned out, decided to go fishing after Happy's horrified reaction upon learning the fate of today's fish purchase. She asked after his plans, and he felt a mild sense of relief she shared the same restlessness as he was experiencing. Guilt followed hot on its heels. He could go take a job request anytime he pleased, Cynthia didn't have that freedom at the moment.

Loke was about halfway through his food when Cynthia finished hers and left to get back to the kitchen. He hurried to finish and then went to the request board. Greeting Nab, he turned his attention to the postings. A couple of them looked interesting, but Loke wasn't sure if they were ones he could pull off by himself. He supposed he could always team up with someone else for a job or two, but he didn't want to become a team jumper.

A whiff of wine mingled with ointment hit Loke's nose, making him sneeze. He glanced toward the hall that led to Makarov's office to see the smaller man making his way toward the bar. He didn't look upset. He always took meals in his office, and it was too early in the day for Makarov to start drinking. So Loke wondered why he was heading toward the bar now.

As Loke watched, the guild's master walked behind the bar and kept going toward the kitchen. Knowing only one reason Makarov would head toward the guild kitchen, Loke smiled and grabbed one of the job requests he'd been considering. If he was wrong or Cynthia turned his offer to team up again down, Loke figured he could always ask Gray or Cana. Requests with rewards like this one's didn't last long after all.

Request acceptance filed, Loke went to visit each of his girls to let them know he'd be leaving in the morning. Then he went home and packed before heading back toward the guild late that afternoon. Loke thought his timing was just about perfect considering Cynthia was leaving the hall as he neared.

"I saw the master go back in the kitchen earlier," he said as he fell in step with Cynthia. "Good news?"

She nodded. "I'm off restriction, and kitchen duty, so I can start taking jobs."

"I'm heading to a little town in the east that's been having monster troubles in the morning," Loke said. "You want to come with?"

"I promised Natsu and Happy we'd work a job together," Cynthia answered with an apologetic smile.

Loke shrugged. "Invite them along," he said. "Natsu lives for monster hunts."


	18. Formation of a Team?

Irritation was still rolling off Natsu in waves when they arrived at the train station the next morning. Cindy didn't know what to think about her nephew's attitude. Loke wasn't wrong when he said Natsu loved monster hunting. It was something she'd already learned about Natsu, so his lack of enthusiasm for the job they were going on surprised her. Cindy tried asking him about it last night. The teen clammed up even more in response, so she'd backed off.

"I'll get our tickets," Natsu said once they entered the station. He didn't wait for a response before trotting off toward the ticket counter.

Sighing, Cindy looked down to where Happy sat on the corner of her bag. "Do you know why he's so upset?" she asked.

"I think Natsu wanted the team to just be family," Happy said.

"Ah," Cindy hummed. For what felt like the millionth time, she wondered if she was doing the right thing in allowing Natsu to call her aunt and get attached. As soon as she found a way home, she'd be leaving to return to her own family, and he'd be left alone with Happy and the guild again. Was she helping him grow or just setting him up for a bigger hurt in the long run?

"Hey guys."

"Good morning," Cindy said at the same time Happy said, "Hi!"

"Natsu was a couple people behind me in line, so he'll be back in a minute," Loke said. "Is he okay?"

"He's irritated at me." Cindy adjusted the straps of her bags as they tried to slip off her shoulder. "Natsu was expecting a family team."

"You want me to go stop him from buying tickets?" Loke asked. "I can go alone. I don't want to cause you problems."

Cindy shook her head. "I said I'd come, and he agreed. He's just disappointed, and I'm sure he'll get over it as soon as we're on the hunt." She cleared her throat and glanced at Loke's ticket for the train number and time before heading toward the correct platform.

"Besides, I can't let him become too attached or dependent," Cindy mumbled to herself.

"Whatcha mean by that?" Happy asked, swooping down to land on Cindy's shoulder and making her jump.

"I might have joined the guild, but this isn't my home, Happy," she explained. "I have a husband and daughters I have to get home to, and that's what I plan to do as soon as I can find a way."

"What about Natsu?" Happy hung off Cindy's shoulder limply, and he pouted.

"I care about him a great deal, Happy." She reached up and gave Happy a scratch as well as she could with the odd angle. "But Natsu's mostly grown, and he can look after himself. I have a responsibility toward my family, not only Lee and the girls, but my parents and grandparents and in-laws and so many others."

"I guess I understand," Happy murmured. "I still wish you could stay though."

Cindy didn't know how to respond, so she settled for giving the cat a reassuring pat and a sorrow tinged smile.

"Speaking of, how's your research going?" Loke asked as they reached their platform.

"I've hit a snag," Cindy said. "I haven't had a chance to do much research since we returned to Magnolia, but after what we found in Akane, I'm sure I need to talk with a celestial wizard or two. The trouble is trying to find one." She sighed and stretched her neck as much as she could without head butting Happy off her shoulder. "I know Blue Pegasus had one named Karen a few years ago thanks to back issues of Sorcerer's Weekly in the guild's library, but it seems she passed away several months back. I haven't found references to any other contemporary celestial wizards."

Loke flinched. "Yeah, it's not as common a field of magic today as it used to be," he agreed. "Other than those born to celestial houses, most decide against studying that brand of holder magic because the keys are so limited. It makes becoming powerful more difficult than it is with other types of magic."

"Makes sense, but it doesn't make things any less difficult for me." Cindy hummed to herself. "Maybe I should focus on families known for using celestial magic," she mused.

Loke nodded and then motioned toward where they'd come from with his head. He jammed his hands deep in his pockets and slouched away a foot or two.

"Got the tickets," Natsu said as he joined the group.

Cindy and Happy thanked him as they took their tickets from him. The little group stood in awkward silence until the boarding call was given. They boarded with Happy gliding along at the head of the group. He found an empty booth and landed on one bench.

Having put her duffel in the overhead compartment, Cindy slid onto the bench beside the cat. Natsu shoved his pack into the compartment and plopped down beside her, leaving the opposite bench as the only clear space for Loke to sit. He didn't mention the boys' behavior, but the tightness to his jaw spoke volumes.

"This is ridiculous," Cindy grumbled with a roll of her eyes. She nudged Natsu's shoulder. "Stop pouting and acting like a child."

"Who's pouting?" Natsu sniffed and tipped his chin up in what Cindy surmised was his attempt at a prim attitude. "I'm just eager to get to work."

"Uh huh," Cindy drawled. "Sure you are. And I suppose that's why you've said all of ten words to me this morning?"

"I didn't know being quiet was pouting," Natsu said. He gestured toward Loke. "Why aren't you getting onto him then? Loke's been a lot quieter than I have."

"Yes, but Loke's always quieter than you."

"Everybody's quieter than Natsu," Happy snickered.

Natsu frowned and gave the cat an injured look. The train whistle blew, and it lurched forward as it began pulling away from the platform. Natsu's complexion took on a distinct green tinge in a split second, and he slumped in his seat with a groan. A bolt of concern shot through Cindy accompanied with a wave of misery and nauseated discomfort from the teen sitting beside her. She slammed her shields up and reinforced them against the second hand sensations, so she'd be able to do something to help without becoming motion sick herself.

"You didn't say it was this bad," Cindy said to Happy as she rummaged in her purse.

"Motion sickness isn't all the same?" Happy's head tilted in confusion, and the tip of his tail twitched.

"It varies," Loke broke in to explain as Cindy pulled a few things out of her purse. "Some people just feel a little queasy. Natsu's on the other end of the spectrum."

"Give me your wrists," Cindy ordered Natsu, but he didn't respond. Figuring he was too focused on keeping his breakfast down to register what she said, Cindy grabbed his wrist and pulled it close enough to slip a stack of quarters under his wristband to press down on the pressure point there. Then she used a strip of cloth to bind another stack to the inside of his other wrist.

His color improved a bit over the next few minutes, but Natsu still slumped in his seat. He groaned every now and again, and his complexion still held a waxy sheen to it that worried Cindy.

"And he'll be like this until we stop?" Cindy asked Happy, who nodded.

"This helps some," Natsu mumbled. "Thanks."

"You're still miserable though, aren't you?" Cindy brushed his hair back off his forehead. He didn't answer, but the truth of how he felt might as well have been written in neon lights. She sighed and, motioning for Happy to shift to the other bench with Loke, patted her lap. "Come here," she said. "I'll try something your Nana used to do for Will and me when we were sick back when we were little."

Natsu looked at her in confusion until she explained she wanted him to lay down on the bench with his head in her lap. Still looking a bit unsure, Natsu nodded. They shuffled around until Cindy sat pushed up against the side of the train with Natsu stretched out on the bench with his head on her knees.

Cindy brushed his hair back, pressing her fingers down just enough to knead into the thin muscle and tendons under his scalp. She worked her way around the small ring of muscles surrounding the ears that most people didn't use, but she suspected Natsu might because of the way his magic enhanced his senses and tied them into his instincts. Then she massaged over his temple and the larger muscles that control the jaw before continuing to the back of his neck. As she suspected, the tendons running up either side of the spine there were so tense, they felt like they'd snap at the slightest provocation. Cindy kept her touch much gentler than would be needed to force them to relax, instead focusing on working soothing circles into the back of his neck and scalp.

Natsu relaxed bit by bit as she continued the soothing motions, led by the memories of her own mother's hands easing away earaches and headaches so many years before. How many times had she done this for her girls over the past decade? She couldn't quite remember. They kind of blurred together over time. From the early days, when terrible colic made it impossible for Riley to sleep in any position but on her tummy until she was deep asleep, and she'd spent hours with her newborn daughter curled on her chest. All the way up until just a few days before she was thrown into Earthland when Sarah was fighting an ear infection.

After a while of continuing this pattern, Natsu went almost boneless. He began snoring softly a few minutes later.

"He asleep?" Cindy mouthed to Happy and Loke.

Loke nodded, and Happy just looked a bit awed.

"Did your Mama really teach you that?" Happy asked.

Cindy nodded as she crossed her arms to keep herself from gesticulating and knocking Natsu upside the head in an absentminded moment. "It's more or less just a scalp massage," she said. "It's just meant to sooth until the recipient can relax enough to nod off, but it's amazing how well it works for just about anything."

"I've never seen anything help Natsu's motion sickness."

"What has he tried?" Cindy asked.

"He tried a couple of potions, but they didn't really work," Happy answered.

"Didn't you say you fly with him now and…"

Natsu interrupted her by reaching behind his head, groping blindly until his hand landed on Cindy's arm. He tugged her arm free of the other one and placed her hand back on his head. The action was so much like Sarah's way of demanding she keep massaging her scalp after seeming to fall asleep, it startled Cindy. Not for the first time, she marveled at how alike Natsu and Sarah were in personality and expression.

Across from her Happy and Loke were fighting not to start laughing, and Cindy gave them an amused smirk as she resumed the pattern she'd established before.

"Okay, so I guess I'll be keeping this up all the way there then."


	19. Monster Hunting: Part 1

Late in the afternoon, their train arrived in the next town over from the little, out of the way village that'd hired them. Cindy herded the still loopy Natsu off the train and through the crowded station, and Loke hefted the other teen's pack. A few minutes after the group exited the station and made their way into the bustling town's center square, Natsu perked up.

"Thanks man," Natsu said as he took his pack back from Loke and strapped it to his back.

"No problem," Loke mumbled. He peered up at the clock tower and grimaced. "We'd better see if we can hire a cart to Valehaven."

"Why waste money?" Natsu shook his head and set off down the street. "It's just a day's hike, and who knows, we might come across some of these monsters on the way."

Cindy, Happy, and Loke hurried to catch up with the newly enthusiastic dragonslayer.

"We don't know what kind of creature we're supposed to be looking for yet, Natsu," Cindy said. "The job request made it sound like the villagers weren't even sure."

"So?" Natsu said. "Less monsters are a good thing, right? And we even have a telepathy mage to make sure we only take out the dangerous ones."

"It doesn't work cross species, Natsu." Cindy sighed and adjusted the straps slipping down her shoulders. "I can pick up hazy senses from ones that have minds and consciousnesses close to that of a human, if they're feeling something strong enough. But anything less sentient than a forest vulcan is a complete blank to my senses."

Catching Loke's eye, she gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes and shook her head. "I could have sworn I've explained this before."

Natsu grumbled something under his breath, and Loke smirked in amusement. There was a note of relief in the ring mage's expression that Cindy dismissed as a figment of her imagination. True, the boy was difficult to read, even without shields, but she'd run across a few people with a type of natural telepathic shielding. Even so, Loke seemed, more or less, like an open book. What would he have to hide other than exactly how many young girls hearts he was toying with at any given time? Everyone knew about his philandering ways, even several of the girls, it seemed.

"Can you see inside my head?" Happy asked as he glided by Cindy.

"To a degree," she answered. "Mostly I just get a sense of your feelings now and again."

"So what am I feeling now?"

"Curious and hungry," Cindy answered.

Happy's eyes grew wide, and he waved his forelegs. "You can read my mind!"

Cindy laughed. "I didn't need telepathy," she said. "You were asking questions, and it's dinner time. Don't discount the value of deductive reasoning just because magic exists."

* * *

As it turned out, word of Valehaven's troubles had reached the town they were in, and thus no one was willing to carry them in that direction. Travel along the main road heading west had dwindled to nothing as stories of people gone missing off the road and the discovery of half eaten remains spread. Having their decision on the matter essentially made for them, the group set off down the western road on foot after stopping for a quick meal at a local diner.

By the time they set out, they only had another two hours of daylight left, so they didn't get far before having to set up camp. The road crossed a placid river about eight miles outside of town, and they decided to make their camp just off the road on the far side. Loke, Cindy, and Happy cleared out their site, built a fire, and laid out the bedrolls while Natsu conducted a perimeter sweep with his enhanced senses and caught something for dinner. It was about half an hour past sundown when Natsu returned to camp with a boar slung over his shoulder.

"Other than the usual, I didn't smell anything close by," Natsu said as he made short work of skinning the boar he'd apparently cleaned in the woods.

"We should still keep a rotating watch though," Loke suggested. "All the disappearances happened at night, and who knows how fast whatever it is can move?"

Natsu nodded his agreement, and the two young wizards worked together to get the animal on a spit over the fire. While they did that and started roasting the meat, Cindy took to the small pot Natsu kept stashed in his pack as well as the canteens they all carried down to the river to get water. By the time she finished and returned to the campsite, the boys were in a rather heated discussion over who should take which shift for watch.

"I should take second watch," Natsu argued. "There's nothing bigger than a deer close by right now. If one of those monsters seeks us out, it'll happen in the middle of the night, and I have the best senses of any of us."

"You might have the nose of a hound, but you were the one who slept all day on the train," Loke shot back. "You're the most rested, so you should be on first watch, not second."

"You calling me lazy?" Natsu stepped up into Loke's personal space and tried to glare the other wizard down.

"Well you weren't doing much of anything except groaning and demanding Cynthia pet your head like a damn house cat!"

"Hey!" Cindy called as she walked back into the clearing. "Knock it off you two."

Loke looked a bit sheepish at being caught name calling, but Natsu didn't seem to care. He crossed his arms over a puffed out chest and pouted.

"He started it," Natsu mumbled before adding in a louder voice, "and he's so wrong. I should take the second shift, not the first."

"I heard the argument on my way back," Cindy said. "Both of you make valid points, but in this case, I think Loke has the right of it."

"No way!"

"A clear head and alert mind top enhanced senses interpreted by someone who's half asleep," Cindy countered. "You're the most rested of us, Natsu. You probably wouldn't even be able to drift off until just before the start of the second shift, and where would that leave us?"

"You do get awfully cranky when you're sleepy," Happy chimed in from the spot on Natsu's bedroll he'd claimed at some point. "I can help keep watch with whoever's on second shift, if it'll make you feel better, Natsu."

"Fine," the fire mage agreed with reluctance. "Who'll take second then."

"What about you, Loke?" Cindy asked. "You seem to more nap than sleep the night through."

"Sure," he agreed.

"Wait." Natsu looked from Loke to her and back with wide eyes. "How's she know your sleeping habits?" he exclaimed.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Loke's expression and tone aimed to rile the protective dragonslayer up, and he succeeded. He smirked when Natsu's fists ignited.

A light thump to the back of his head wiped the smirk off Loke's face. "Not helpful," Cindy chided with an irritated snarl. "Each team was only given one room with multiple beds," she explained to Natsu. "He woke up before I did every morning." She shrugged. "It wasn't hard to figure out."

Cindy walked over to the spit's handle and turned the boar, which was beginning to char on one side. Natsu continued to glare at Loke, and he smirked back at Natsu. Happy ignored the lot of them, curling up in the warm glow of the fire to nap while dinner cooked. Once she finished tending to their dinner, Cindy noticed the continued posturing and rolled her eyes.

"Either you two stop this idiotic posturing, or I'm going to find a way to dunk you both in the river," Cindy said.

"Good luck trying," Natsu grumbled.

Loke laughed, and when he noticed the aggravated look Cindy shot Natsu, he laughed harder. "You might want to stop talking," he said to Natsu.

The dragonslayer looked back at Cindy, and a bit of the color drained from his face. "No more fighting, I swear," he said with a gulp.

Cindy nodded. "I'll hold you to that." Turning to Loke, she said, "Don't poke the dragonslayer."

He acknowledged what she said with a noncommittal gesture and went to sit on a fallen tree.

Cindy rounded on Natsu. "I appreciate the fact you have an instinctual drive to protect your family, but please remember I'm a grown woman and a wizard now in my own right," she said. "Even without magic, I'm perfectly capable of protecting my own honor, thank you very much. The lack of faith you've shown in me hurts."

Natsu tried to stammer out an objection, but he couldn't seem to get anything coherent to leave his mouth.

"Just what else could you have been implying just now?" Cindy had never been very good at hiding her anger and hurt, but Natsu seemed to have difficulty reading the expressions of others. So she let a bit of her emotions "leak" out of her shields. She could see the moment Natsu felt the aura she was emitting. Understanding blossomed behind his eyes, and the flames still encasing his fists guttered out. A cloud rolled over the moon, further darkening the night.

"Trust that I can take care of myself," she said. Cindy rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand. "Trust your guildmates to be good people. No matter how they might tease."

"You're right," Natsu said. "Sorry, Aunt Cindy."

"It's okay," Cindy said. "Just, both of you chill a bit. Alright? We're a team. Let's act like one."

* * *

The cloud cover cleared as the group ate a quiet and somewhat awkward dinner. This brightened the night considerably, but it also meant the temperature began to drop a good deal faster. They were in the foothills of the central mountains where it was much cooler than it was in Magnolia, and even in midsummer, the local river would run cold as it was fed by melting mountain snows.

For someone used to warm, muggy nights all through late spring and summer, the evening was uncomfortably cool for Cindy. Old injuries ached in protest, and she shivered even as she inched closer to their remaining fire. She'd pulled on her ever present sweater as they'd sat down to eat. Cindy was happy the sleeves were long enough to pull her hands into them to keep warm, but it did nothing to protect her legs and feet.

The thought she'd be limping or shuffling around come morning brought a frown to her face. She'd rather hoped the increased durability and healing that came hand-in-hand with being a wizard would ease such aging related ailments, but it seemed to do nothing for hurts accrued before one began studying.

"What's the matter?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, I'm just cold," Cindy answered with a shrug.

"How?" Loke asked with a chuckle. "You're right next to the fire and wrapped in that huge sweater of yours." He gave the article in question the side eye. "Where'd you get that thing anyway? It looks like it was made for Elfman."

Cindy laughed. "It was actually," she said. "Mirajane made it for his birthday last year when she was learning how to knit, but it was too small. So when I said something about always being cold, she offered it to me." She shrugged. "I kinda like how big it is."

"I don't think Mira would want you telling folks she made that thing," Natsu said. "It's ugly."

"Hush now," Cindy chided. "It's pretty good for a first attempt. You just don't like the color."

"Of course I don't!" Natsu exclaimed. "It looks like someone smeared mud and moss all over it."

"The yarn was a bit unevenly dyed," Cindy agreed. "It reminds me of some yarn I used to make Will a hat and scarf several years ago. Back home they call a pattern similar to this 'camo,' which is short for camouflage. It's meant to help you hide in woodland settings, usually to make hunting easier." She chuckled and lifted her arms to peer at the sleeves. "Seems rather fitting to wear it out here, all things considered."

"So Will likes that color?" Natsu's expression made it plain that wasn't something he was happy to hear.

"Well, he and Pops both enjoy hunting whenever they get the chance," Cindy said. "Will would go all the time, but by law back home, you can only hunt for their preferred game during the cooler months of the year. So, I made the set to keep him warm without compromising his ability to stay hidden."

"Sounds like cheating."

"I suppose it does," Cindy agreed. "Hunters back home these days don't spend a lot of time tracking their prey except after the shot's been taken, but then again, it's become more about spending time outdoors and marksmanship than keeping a family fed for most today." She stood and stretched tightening muscles. "Still, Pops' hunting skills made up for a lot of money shortfalls when I was little, and Will being able to help keep the local coyote population in check helped him make ends meet between jobs while aiding the local cattle and goat farmers."

"What about you?" Loke asked. "Did you ever learn?"

Cindy shrugged. "Daddy took me out a couple times," she said. "He taught me how to find signs of deer in the area and what not, and both of my parents taught me how to handle a bow. I balked at using guns though." Cindy shuddered. "They're so loud, and Will and I inherited hypersensitive ears from Mama's side of the family. I couldn't stand the noise. Bow season only lasts a few weeks, and I didn't get strong enough to pull a compound bow until I was too busy to care about hunting anymore."

Scooting her bedroll as near to the fire as she dared, Cindy half grinned. "I was never a great shot anyway," she said. Cindy slipped her shoes off and laid them beside her bedroll as she settled into it. "I probably couldn't hit the broadside of a barn now, at least not with an arrow."

"Who needs arrows when you have lightning?" Natsu asked with a grin. "Just…" He mimicked a bolt coming down out of the sky and hitting something with an explosion, sound effects and all, causing the others to laugh.

"Good point," Cindy agreed. "Maybe not such a good idea out here though. Lightning strikes usually mean fire."

Natsu shrugged. "Just more food for me."

"Ever the optimist." Cindy returned Natsu's grin before a yawn broke the moment. "Sorry boys, I'm beat. I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Sounds good to me," Loke agreed. He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bedroll across the fire from her before turning his attention to Natsu. "Three hour shifts?"

Natsu nodded.

* * *

It felt more like ten minutes than three hours between the time Loke laid down and when he felt someone poke him in the shoulder. Frowning, Loke blinked his eyes open to find Natsu frowning down at him.

"Your turn," Natsu whispered.

Loke pushed himself up into a sitting position and nodded. "Anything?" he asked as he put his shoes back on.

"It's been quiet," Natsu answered as he began to settle into into his own bedroll. "I've caught a strange smell a couple times, but it keeps fading and shifting. Seemed to be getting closer, but it was hard to tell with the way it kept disappearing. So keep your eyes and ears open."

"Yeah."

Loke got to his feet and made his way over to the tree standing at the highest point near their campsite. Happy yawned and stretched where he was perched in a crook in the tree as Loke approached.

"Don't worry, Loke," Happy said. "I'll let you know if I smell or hear anything coming."

"Thanks, Happy."

Loke limited himself to a mental chuckle at that. Even in his weakened state, his senses were almost on par with those of an average cat, but such was a detail he couldn't divulge. If the guild knew what he'd done, they'd toss him out on his ear, and there was no way to explain what he was without admitting what he'd done to Karen.

The first hour passed without incident. Loke walked the perimeter at the bottom of the hour and stoked the fire when it began burning low. Natsu began snoring shortly thereafter, and he raised such a ruckus, Loke wondered at how Cynthia didn't wake up. From what he'd observed working with her in Akane, she seemed to be a light sleeper, and yet she slept undisturbed.

Loke decided to make another perimeter sweep at the top of the hour to keep himself alert. He didn't notice anything during his sweep, but the wind changed as he walked back to the tree where Happy waited. It carried a strange smell that almost seemed like a blend of human and canine pheromones overlaid with the stench of death, yet it read as a single scent. And it was close.

Happy's posture shifted, and his ears swiveled back and forth as he searched for sounds. "I smell something weird," he said.

Loke nodded. "Any idea where it's coming from or what it is?" he asked, listening hard and scenting the air again himself. Loke could just barely hear rustling somewhere south of their position, the same direction the scent was coming from, but he didn't have the same directional hearing Happy did. He couldn't pinpoint the source.

Happy's ears stopped moving just before he pointed a bit to the left of where Loke'd estimated the source would be. "Whatever it is, it's over there," he said. "Loke?"

"Yes?"

"It smells like something dead, but it's close and moving." Happy's posture was tense, and his voice trembled. "You think we should wake Natsu?"

"Yeah," Loke agreed. "You wake him. I'll keep an eye out."

Happy summoned his wings and flew out of the tree without another word, and Loke focused his full attention on whatever it was they were sensing. Something about the scent he'd picked up was familiar, but Loke couldn't quite place it. The memory was an old one grown indistinct and uncertain with time as many of his more distant or actively forgotten memories had become. The realization did nothing to ease his worry.

The rustling grew closer if no less faint, and the cloying stench of decay thickened as it approached. Behind him, Loke could hear Natsu and Cynthia rousing, but he kept his attention trained on the creature. He caught a glimpse of eye shine through the trees twenty feet from the edge of camp.

"Great, it's nocturnal," he mumbled to himself.

"Whatcha waiting for?" Natsu asked as he stepped up next to Loke. At first he thought the dragonslayer was talking to him, but his attention was directed toward the forest surrounding them. "Come on and fight us, monster!"

Letting out a terrible roar, the beast charged as Natsu caused his fists to ignite in preparation for battle. The creature was big. It stood more than six feet tall with a broad frame, but the skin was sallow and pulled tight over its bones. Despite the number of people gone missing and presumed eaten because of the bones found near the roadway, it looked like it hadn't eaten in weeks. Roaring again as it lunged for the wizards, it bared yellowed fangs, and the reek of its breath made Loke gag.

Natsu met the monster at a run and aimed a flaming fist for its jaw. It backhanded him with a wide sweep of its arm before the blow could land and kept charging. Cynthia called out Natsu's name as he was thrown into the trunk of a tree, running to join them in the fray. With the others' eyes directed away from the thing, Loke activated one of his rings and used a spell that mimicked his Regulus Impact while pulling on less of his magic and attacked. Bright light flooded the clearing, and the beast screamed in agony, clutching its eyes.

Shrugging off the pain of slamming into a tree, Natsu took advantage of the monster's agonized distraction and charged it. He rammed the creature in the chest with one fist before smashing the other into its nose. The mottled fur on its chest caught fire, causing its screams to rise in pitch. The monster slashed out with a clawed hand and raked jagged lines across Natsu's torso. It made another blind sweep with the other arm, missing Loke by inches as he lept away.

Streaks of blue energy sizzled through the cool night air and struck the beast. Its limbs seized up, trapping the creature where it stood.

"I can't keep this up," Cynthia yelped. Beads of sweat broke out over her forehead, and her expression was one of concentration and strain as she maintained the attack. "Finish it off quick!"

Loke caught Natsu's attention, and they nodded in understanding. The two wizards rushed the frozen monster, attacking at the same moment.

"Fire dragon iron fist," Natsu exclaimed at the same time Loke called, "Magnified force."

Both blows landed in the creature's chest with enough force to lift it off its feet. Loke felt the sternum give under the weight of the double attack. The beast flew back and hit the large tree they'd used to keep watch hard enough to shake several leaves loose despite its size and deep roots. It crumpled to the ground with blood trickling from its mouth and the back of its head.

The monster let out a shaky breath, and it went still. The body wavered before dissolving into nothingness before their eyes leaving only splatters of dark blood as proof of its presence.

"That was easy," Natsu stated, sounding both proud and disappointed at the same time.

"A bit too easy," Cynthia agreed. "Why post a request with such a high reward if this was all that was needed to handle the problem?"

"Yeah," Loke said with a nod. "And did you see how emaciated that thing was? It can't be what's been eating the locals." He shuddered at the thought. "It was starving."

"Wrong monster?" Natsu asked.

Loke shrugged, and Cynthia nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give you a quick heads up. Because of the holiday weekend, I won't be posting next week, since I write these chapters on the weekend. I'll post chapter twenty the first week in 2017.


	20. Reaching Valehaven

The tussle with the unknown beast left them all so wired getting back to sleep was impossible, so the they all decided to prepare for the day early and set back out at daybreak. The hike to Valehaven was uneventful verging on boring. The road was just as abandoned as they'd been told. Even the wildlife seemed to have fled deeper into the wood. The unnatural stillness grated on Cindy's nerves, and she could feel the others' unease, which redoubled her own.

The day was overcast and cool this far into the foothills, and a thick fog clung to the ground throughout the morning. Cindy shivered and tugged the shoulder of her sweater back up even as she could feel the waistband of her pants creeping lower as she walked. She made a mental note to try and purchase a belt once they got to Valehaven. Between the hours spent training and more physical work in Earthland, Cindy had noticed the weight she'd been struggling to lose for years was finally dropping off. As much as she enjoyed working in radio and writing novels, being a wizard had its advantages, if one could look past the dangers.

Wanting to reach the town before nightfall, Cindy suggested they eat while they continued the hike instead of stopping. The bits of leftover boar they'd wrapped up that morning and what fruit they'd purchased before setting out from the last town was easy enough to consume on the go, so Loke, Natsu, and Happy agreed.

"I smell blood," Natsu said as the team topped a hill late that afternoon. Valehaven could be seen on the horizon, and the sun hung low in the sky.

"Another attack?" Cindy asked.

"Maybe." Natsu stared off into the underbrush. Tension was written in his stance. "I'm going to check it out."

"We should all go," Cindy said. "Eight eyes are better than two. Maybe we'll find some clue what we're dealing with out here."

Natsu didn't look enthused by the idea, but Happy's insistence the group not split up changed his attitude. Still, he admonished them all to walk quietly to avoid alerting anything that might be lurking. Cindy rolled her eyes, but held back from commenting.

The extra caution turned out to be unnecessary. While they found signs of a struggle a few hundred yards off the road, it was hours old. Whatever happened there had happened the night before.

"It smells like the monster we fought last night was here," Happy said as he circled the area.

"Maybe something similar, but I don't think it was the same one," Loke interjected. He pointed to a few spots on the ground and places where branches were snapped a good ten or twelve feet off the ground. One clear footprint could be seen, and whoever left it had been wearing shoes. "A man was attacked here, and all signs point on the attacker being much bigger than the monster we fought last night."

"Loke's probably right," Natsu agreed. "The smell's similar, but different too. So I'm thinking we're looking for the alpha or the one last night was just a cub." His expression was somber, but his eyes sparked with the excitement of the hunt to come and the fight that'd come with it.

Cindy shuddered. "All I smell is blood and decay, so I'll trust your nose." She pointed to a set of shallow ruts in the ground where the undergrowth was crushed. "Looks like whatever it was drug them off to the southeast."

"That's the same direction the one last night came from," Loke said. He frowned, looking off in that direction like he could peer deep into the forest to wherever that thing went. "We might be dealing with a mated pair or a pack."

"Good," Natsu said, wearing a grin verging on feral. "There'll be enough monsters to go around. Come on." He motioned for them to follow as he began following the trail left behind the night before.

"Sunset's in an hour, and we still haven't made it to Valehaven," Cindy argued.

"Someone's been drug off by a monster!" Natsu said gesturing in the direction he wanted to go. "We need to save 'em."

"Whatever happened, happened hours ago," Loke countered. "You ever known a monster to keep victims around longer than it takes to chomp on them? I haven't." His voice was tinged with sadness, and his shoulders drooped. "Chances are whoever was attacked here is already dead."

"Yeah, but they might not be."

"We need to speak with the client," Cindy pressed. "There might be more people missing or something else going on." She walked up to Natsu and squeezed his shoulder. "We can't help by running in blind. We might even make things worse."

"How?" Natsu scoffed. "People are going missing, getting eaten. How do you get worse than that?"

Cindy floundered for something to say for a few moments before shrugging. "I don't know, but I have a feeling we're missing something here." She raked her hands over her face and sighed. "I can't shake it, and I've learned to listen to my gut, even before I came to Earthland."

Natsu looked from Cindy to Loke and Happy and back. He must have seen something reflected in their expressions because his became resigned.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But let's make it quick. The longer we're hanging around talking, the more chances those things have to hurt people."

* * *

The team reached the outskirts of town just as dusk began painting the sky with reds and golds. Furious hammering echoed from where men and women alike worked to build a wall around the town. From what Cindy could see, it looked like they only lacked another twenty or thirty feet to complete the structure.

"Stop where you are, strangers," a voice called from a watchtower situated along the eastern wall. "State your name and business."

"We're wizards from Fairy Tail here to answer your request for aid," Loke called back, tugging the job request out of his pocket as he did so. He held it up as proof.

The watchman squinted toward the paper, and he scrutinized them for a moment before nodding to himself. Leaning over the railing of his tower, the man called down to someone on the ground. "Take these folks to the Mayor's office."

They heard someone answer in the affirmative before the watchman waved for them to enter through the gap in the wall being constructed. Natsu and Happy tromped forward, obviously still in a hurry to finish with the formalities here so they could get back on the trail. Loke and Cindy followed a bit behind with Cindy watching the villagers with interest. Inside the wall they were met by a boy who looked about eleven or twelve years old.

"I'll take you to talk with Mayor Tam," said the boy as he gestured for them to follow. He turned with a bound and hurried through the unpaved streets.

Valehaven was laid out in the haphazard way the original parts of some of the oldest cities back home had. Narrow streets met at odd angles, and the spacing between shops, homes, and offices was close in some areas and sparse in others like everyone just picked a spot they liked when the town was founded instead of planning out the village in advance. After several dozen yards, the street they were on opened up into a square roughly the size of a city block. The boy led them to the northern side of the square where one of the few brick buildings they'd seen stood, and he knocked on the heavy wooden door.

A moment later, the door opened just a crack, and someone peered out at them through the small opening. "Yes?"

"The wizards Mayor Tam sent a request for are here," the boy answered.

"It's about time," the person behind the door grumbled before they pulled it open.

A young woman looked over their team with growing skepticism tightening her features. She stepped aside, and they filed into what Cindy presumed served as Valehaven's town hall. The woman shut and latched the door once everyone was inside. The foyer was dim and stuffy in comparison with the crisp fresh evening outside, and the tense apprehension of the residents was so thick, it threatened to suffocate Cindy.

"Follow me," the woman said before scurrying off down the hall.

Cindy was beginning to regret lowering her shields as tensions within the team eased a bit earlier in the day. The press of so many strong emotions around her was beginning to make her head ache, so she concentrated on raising her mental shields again as they followed the young woman through the mayor's office.

Stopping in front of an open door, the woman knocked on the door jab. "The wizards you sent for have arrived," she said.

"Good. Good," said the man sitting behind a meticulous desk. "Come in and make yourselves at home. We've much to discuss."


	21. Monster Hunting: Part 2

Natsu followed the creature's stench through the woods later that evening. Happy glided beside him, and Aunt Cindy and Loke followed behind. Natsu frowned, hearing how heavily Aunt Cindy was beginning to breathe, and he slowed down yet another notch. While it was plain to see she wasn't in shape, Natsu hadn't expected Aunt Cindy to drag the team down so much. He'd have to talk her into stepping up her training when they got back home, if they ever managed to catch the monster with as slow as they were moving.

It was bad enough they'd lost almost four hours between going to the village, listening to the mayor prattle on forever, and hiking all the way back to the abduction site they'd found on the way in. All that, and what kind of helpful information did they learn? Nothing much in his opinion. They already knew people were being taken and bits of the bodies had been found half eaten. What their bad luck with last year's harvest and a rough winter had to do with monsters setting up a nest nearby, he didn't understand. The bit about them being able to mimic voices like a mockingbird was neat, but it didn't tell them anything about the monster's weaknesses or where to find it. So far as he could tell, they put themselves out four hours just to find out there were at least two more of these things, and they were both much bigger than the one they'd fought last night.

Cindy coughed for what had to be the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes, and the distinct whistling in the sound made Natsu wince. He'd noticed the start of a wheezing sound from her not long after they arrived in the village. Aunt Cindy didn't seem concerned about it, so he'd put it out of his mind and tried to concentrate on what the mayor said. She started coughing several minutes later. When it started making a whistling sound on the end and hadn't calmed down after a half hour, Cindy pulled a little red device out of her bag and inhaled something from it.

"It has medicine in it that makes it easier to breathe when I experience an asthma attack," Cindy had answered when he asked her about it after leaving the mayor's office. She'd pointed to a few of the fields as they passed on their way out of town. "It looks like they're in the middle of the first hay harvest of the year," she'd said with a shrug. "That's a common trigger for me. It should ease up once we're away from town."

That's what she'd said, but his ears didn't lie. Aunt Cindy was still having trouble breathing even a couple miles away from the town.

Natsu heard the click of her removing the things cap again. He figured she was probably trying to take another dose of her medicine, and he wasn't sure what to think about the whole situation. It'd helped earlier, but as soon as they started moving at a decent pace outside of town, she'd started wheezing again. How was she going to help take down the two larger monsters if she couldn't even breathe?

"You okay, Cynthia?" Loke asked.

"I'll live," she answered. Natsu could almost hear the eye roll in the tone she took despite her voice cracking at the end of her sentence. Another click sounded, and Cindy cleared her throat.

Natsu nodded to himself. She might not be the strongest or fastest wizard, but at least Aunt Cindy didn't whine much. He wasn't sure how he could handle that. Those high pitched tones hurt his ears.

The wind shifted, bringing with it a more intense strain of the monster's scent. Natsu glanced back at the others to make sure they were paying attention before shifting course. The move took them off the narrow trail they'd been following and into a denser part of the wood. He twisted, ducked, and dodged around thistles, low bushes, and the occasional jutting branch. A part of him worried the others wouldn't be able to keep up, but he could hear them still following behind. They were a bit slower than him, but not by much.

Squinting into the gloom ahead, Natsu could just make out the movement of something large. Adrenaline surged, and he flexed his hands as he plunged forward. The beast last night wasn't much bigger than Loke and himself, but judging from what he could make out and the timber of its footfalls, this one had to be much larger. The clouds obscuring the moonlight shifted, and the way ahead brightened by degrees.

Natsu grinned as he got a clear view of the monster. It looked just like the one they'd fought the night before, but it was easily four feet taller. The last one hadn't been much of a challenge, even half asleep as he was, and he was itching for a good fight.

The beast paused in its trek and scented the air. There was a slight but persistent breeze, and they were downwind of the monster. So Natsu wasn't concerned about losing the element of surprise before they cleared the last few yards. Then one of the others stepped on a dried twig, and it snapped. The beast's head turned their direction, and its eyes took on an eerie glow that went beyond the eye shine Loke described. It snarled, revealing yellowed fangs, and charged.

"If you want to fight, we're going to need some room!" Natsu yelled as he dashed forward to meet the monster. "Fire dragon wing attack." His opening move cleared several yards of woodland and set the fallen trees and underbrush on fire in the process.

The monster shrieked and flinched back from the flames, crossing massive arms in front of its ugly muzzle.

"Don't burn the forest down, you idiot!" Loke yelled as he caught up with Natsu. He activated one of his rings. "Twister!"

Strong winds buffeted the area, fanning out most of the flames and swirling bits of debris into the air. Somewhere behind him and off to the side, Natsu heard Cindy whimper and more rustling heading deeper into the underbrush. A limb kicked up by the magical storm slammed into his right shoulder blade mid attack as he rushed the monster a second time, and Natsu stumbled off course.

"Don't use spells you can't control," Natsu snarled back at Loke, who never took his eyes off the beast they were fighting.

Recovered from its surprise, the thing caught one of the larger limbs being tossed about by Loke's twister spell in its massive, clawed hands. Digging its claws into the tender wood, the monster swung the limb at its attackers. Loke leaped over the improvised weapon, too busy dissipating his earlier spell to do anything else. Natsu allowed his fists to ignite and met the swinging limb with an iron fist. The wood splintered and broke, sending shards and smoking bits raining away from the spot.

Happy swooped down toward the beast's head, hurling a couple of stones at its eyes. It swatted in the cat's direction, and Happy dodged with the skill years as Natsu's constant companion had given him.

Loke surged forward so fast he almost seemed to teleport, and his fist slammed into the creature's solar plexus with a flash of light. He followed it up with a kick to the monster's knee. It swung massive arms Loke's way, and the back of one huge, distorted hand connected with the ring mage's side as he tried to leap away. The hit sent Loke spinning to the ground, where he landed with a thud.

Howling, the monster rounded on Loke as he tried to shrug off the fall. It reached toward him. The moonlight glinted off razor sharp claws.

Natsu pulled in as much air as he could and focused his magic in his lungs. He let loose with a massive fire dragon roar, but the monster stumbled backward a split second earlier. The monster's claws missed Loke's back by less than a foot because of whatever happened, but Natsu's attack didn't land either. Instead, several trees caught fire, and the beast reared back away from the flames. Roaring, it shielded its eyes with one massive arm.

Cindy burst out of the underbrush several yards from where Loke was finally getting to his feet. Natsu frowned as he realized it must have been one of her "push" attacks that hit the beast. The fact she was able to move something as heavy as the monster must be surprised him, but he didn't take the time to think about it too much.

Using the monster's distraction against it, Natsu raced toward it. The creature seemed to have gotten over its surprise at the burst of flame as it lowered its arm again and refocused on Loke and Cindy. There was no way he was letting that thing hurt his friends again. Natsu gave his magic free rain, and he felt the familiar warmth as flames engulfed his body. He put his head down and braced himself.

The monster's height meant its center was out of reach for such an attack, and even a head as hard as his wouldn't stand up to the mass of bone in its knee. So Natsu aimed for the next best weak spot, the side of the thigh where the large muscles meet. He rammed his head into the monster's leg as hard as he could.

With a yelp, the beast staggered sideways, and Natsu bounced back. A sharp ringing filled his ears, and the world looked like it was spinning. Natsu shook his head in an attempt to regain control of his senses. The monster's injured leg refused to hold its weight. It crashed to the forest floor, sending a cloud of dust and leaves into the air that made Natsu and the others cough. It was only a few seconds later Natsu realized he'd been saved from being trapped under the monster by Happy, who still carried him in the air.

"Thanks, Happy," he said.

"You're welcome." The feline banked and swooped down toward the ground to put Natsu back down. "Stop hitting stuff with your head," Happy said. "You're going to make yourself dumb if you keep doing that."

"Yeah. Yeah."

The hair on the back of Natsu's neck stood on end, and he heard the snap of electricity as his feet touched the ground. He looked back where the monster fell to see Cindy standing over it with her arms out stretched. Blue bolts zinged from her hands into the beast. It's back arched away from the forest floor, and the too long arms pushed against the ground with clawed fists clenched.

On the other side of the thrashing monster, Loke lifted a fallen limb like a spear. The ring mage's expression was hard and grim as he raised the improvised weapon. Smeared blood marred the playboy's usually pristine features, and that combined with the erratic light from Cindy's attack made him look almost sinister. Using both hands and throwing his weight behind the move, Loke plunged the jagged end of the limb into the monster's throat.

Blood welled up around the limb, and the beast went still when Cindy dropped her attack. The group let out a collective sigh of relief, and Loke stepped back from the monster's body.

"Why isn't it fading like the last one?" Happy asked.

Natsu felt at a loss for an answer, so he just shrugged at his friend.

One thick arm lifted off the ground, and the monster wrapped a clawed hand around the limb sticking out of its throat. It pulled the wood out with a slick, sucking sound that turned Natsu's stomach. The branch came free, and the beast drew in a ragged gulp of air. The effort to breathe through a crushed and punctured windpipe created a horrific wheezing whistle, but it slowed the creature's movements.

Cindy backed away from the fallen monster and toward Natsu. Her hands were half raised like she was preparing another barrage of sparks, and her eyes never left the thing now struggling back to its feet. Overhead clouds began to gather, throwing the forest into deeper shadow aside from the flickering of the trees Natsu's attack ignited earlier. As they watched, the wound Loke inflicted began to knit closed.

"Okay, so these things have at least some level of invulnerability," Cindy said. Her voice wavered and cracked, and the first fat drops of rain splattered on the ground. "How did you two kill the one last night?"

Natsu glanced Loke's way to find the other man's brow creased in thought. He hoped Loke remembered, because he didn't. Fights were always something of a blur to him once they were over.

"We both hit it in the chest," Loke answered. "The sternum broke."

Mere yards away, the monster got to its feet, and the stuttering wheeze it emitted began to subside as the wound closed over. Thick, black lips pulled back as it sneered at them, swinging its massive head to focus on Cindy.

The wind picked up, and rain began to fall. Natsu felt a surge of magical power from Aunt Cindy more powerful than anything he'd ever sensed from her. His heartbeat stuttered, and his hair stood on end. The monster lunged toward Cindy with snapping jaws. Happy swooped down and pulled her out of the way as a bolt of lightning cut through the air and struck the beast's back mid lunge. The flash blinded Natsu, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the light. Thunder crashed louder than he'd ever heard it do before, and it made his ears ring.

"...for it's heart!"

Natsu heard Loke's yell as his hearing began to clear. He nodded to the ring mage, who stood on the monster's other side. Natsu didn't know much about Loke's magic, but he figured the other wizard was preparing an attack judging by his stance and the fact he was fiddling with one of his rings.

The beast was facing Natsu, but it couldn't be described as standing. The lightning strike had knocked it to its knees, and it looked like it was having trouble getting back to its feet. An image of the thing trying to bite Cindy's head off followed by another of it going after Loke when he was down passed through Natsu's mind. This monster was a menace, all hunger and instinct, and it'd just keep coming until it got its fill. Then it'd do the same thing again and again and again until someone stopped it. Anger and purpose lit a fire in Natsu's chest, and he let it burn through him as he ran for the beast.

The creature raised its head, and glowing eyes locked onto Natsu. It snarled, recognizing yet another threat, and coiled to strike. But Natsu was already within reach.

Light flashed, and the monster reared up as Natsu threw an iron fist at its heart. He heard the crack of ribs snapping under a double blow before a heavy weight smashed into his back, and everything went black.

* * *

Cindy was too low on magic and too far away from the monster to do anything but watch in horror as it brought a huge, clawed hand down onto Natsu's head. She and Happy cried out as it happened. Happy flew off to try and help as Cindy stumbled in that direction. She'd seen the flash of Loke's attack strike at the monster's heart from the back followed by Natsu's fist slamming into its chest. If they'd managed to kill one with a similar technique last night, they might have done so again with this larger brute. She hoped so.

It tipped backwards and fell. Loke dashed out of the way, skidding to a stop five feet away as the monster hit the ground with a thud. Cindy shuffled past him as Loke turned to take in the scene. Happy wavered, wings heavy with rain, and dropped down next to Natsu where he lay pinned to the beast's chest by the same arm that struck him.

The monster lay still with rivulets of rainwater cutting paths through it's patchy fur. Cindy fought the urge to gag as she approached. The shower did nothing to improve its smell. If anything, it made the stench of decay more pronounced. As its form began to waver and fade, she felt a wash of relief amidst the disgust at the cloying scent. Was this a sped up form of decay?

Relief turned to annoyance and worry as the monster's body faded away into nothing as quickly as the one the night before did, and the sudden loss of mass beneath his unconscious form sent Natsu plummeting several feet to the ground. Happy tried to catch him, but failed, letting out a pained yelp the moment he took Natsu's weight. His wings vanished, and Happy fell beside his friend.

Cindy and Loke made it to their side a moment later. Sore and fatigued to the point of trembling, Cindy dropped gracelessly to the ground beside the boy she'd adopted as her nephew. The fight and rain had turned the forest floor into a mess of mud and decaying leaves. She could feel the cold, wet earth seeping the heat from her through her sodden clothes as she pressed trembling fingers to the side of Natsu's neck, searching for a pulse.

"Don't worry," Loke said as he knelt down on Natsu's other side and began checking the back of the other boy's head and neck for injuries. "It'll take more than that to kill a dragon slayer."

"Thanks for the thought, but that isn't going to make me worry less," Cindy mumbled.

She'd found a strong, steady pulse, and Natsu was breathing evenly. Because of that, she knew Loke was right, but in the two days they'd been away from Magnolia, she'd seen Natsu incapacitated by motion sickness and dealt what would have been killing blows to anyone back home at least twice.

Mollified that Natsu was stable, Cindy turned her attention to Happy, who was huddled against Natsu's other side. "You okay, Happy?" she asked. "It sounded like you hurt yourself."

"I wasn't strong enough." Happy's voice wavered, and he hung his head. As miserable as any cat might look after being caught in the rain, he looked ten times worse. "I couldn't catch Natsu."

"Natsu's going to be fine," Loke assured Happy. "He has a knot on the back of his head, but that's about it. He's too hard headed for that to do much to him."

Cindy held her arms out to Happy, and he jumped into them. She hugged the cat close, being careful not to squeeze too hard. "I heard you yelp when you tried to catch Natsu," she said. "Did you hurt yourself when you saved me?"

Happy didn't answer, only curling himself more into the hug.

"I'm sorry," Cindy murmured into the cat's ear. "I was too heavy for you."

Natsu groaned and began to stir, pulling all of their attention to him.

"See, he's already waking up," Loke said. He stood up and wiped the water off of his face before slicking his hair back from where it was plastered to his forehead. Bolts of lightning sparked between the clouds but didn't strike down, and thunder rolled overhead. Loke looked around the new clearing before turning back to Cindy. "Fire's out. I think you can call off the storm now."

"Would if I could," Cindy answered. She gave the teen an apologetic smile. "Conditions weren't right for one, so getting it started took way more magic than it ought to have. I'm all tapped out."

"Did we kill it?" Natsu asked as he pushed himself off the ground.

"Nah, we decided to call a timeout to discuss the weather," Cindy deadpanned. "The monster stepped out for a smoke break."

"Huh?"

Natsu gave her a quizzical look, and Cindy giggled somewhat hysterically. Happy shifted in her arms to look up at her with wide, worried eyes.

"She's lost it," he squeaked.

Loke shook his head as he walked over and half pulled Cindy up by one arm. "Nah, Cynthia just goes a little weird and gets the giggles when she's overtired," he said.

Cindy started to nod, but she caught the surprised and flabbergasted expression on Natsu's face. She tried to fight off another round of the giggles, but then he blinked. With the expression he wore, the movement looked so much like an owl, she couldn't help but burst out laughing again. Loke offered Natsu a hand up as well, which seemed to snap the dragon slayer out of his stupor enough to get up.

"The mayor said there ought to be at least one more of those things," Natsu said as he regained his feet and wiped the mud off of his face. "Let's go."

Loke caught Natsu's shoulder as he turned to start heading off again. "We need to regroup," he said. "None of us have slept for almost an entire day. Cynthia's running on fumes. Happy's hurt, and you just woke up after getting knocked out. Going after an even bigger one of those things right now is suicidal."

The seriousness of that statement sobered Cindy, and her laughter died away. Natsu's eyes flashed with impatience and anger when he rounded on Loke, but Cindy could see the moment he caught sight of Happy and her. The fire went out of him, and concern softened his expression.

"Two down, one to go then," Natsu said a moment later. "We'll get the big guy tomorrow night." He stretched his arms over his head and started marching back toward the village.

Cindy and Loke followed behind with Happy still riding in Cindy's arms. As the adrenaline drained away, she felt the urge to giggle less as her body began to feel weighed down. The wheezing cough had eased after using her inhaler on the way out, but her chest still felt tight and heavy. Cindy cleared her throat and tried to ignore the aches beginning to make themselves known as the rain grew colder.

"Do you have any idea what these things we've been fighting are?" she asked Loke.

"They seem familiar, but I can't quite remember," he answered, sounding frustrated and annoyed by the fact.

"I feel the same," Cindy said.

"I thought you didn't have magic in your world," Loke said. He frowned her way as they followed Natsu through the woods. "They're not mundane creatures."

"Yes, but we still had stories about mythological beasts that are at least partly accurate from what I've gathered talking to Natsu," she said. "Something about these things and what the mayor said rings a bell, but I can't place it either."

"Does it matter?"

Cindy shot Loke a disbelieving look and rolled her eyes. "Haven't you heard? Knowledge is power." She sighed and turned her attention back to where they were going before she stumbled over a raised root or loose stone. "Maybe there's an easier way to take care of these things. Look how much trouble we had with this one. How will we handle the alpha?"


	22. The Alpha

By the time they'd trudged back to town, proved they were who they said they were to the wall guards, and made it to the room they'd been given, it was getting close to two in the morning. They'd taken the time to drop their bags by the room before heading out, so at least they had clean, dry clothes to change into after slogging through the storm Cynthia brewed up to douse the forest fire Natsu started.

Relief and gratitude washed over Loke when she more or less ordered Natsu to shower the moment they got to the room. The dragon slayer wreaked of blood, decay, and an earthy mix of dirt and mildew after being smashed against the beast's chest. The smell of it was turning his stomach, but he didn't dare say anything because he wasn't exactly sure how much more acute his senses were than a normal human. Thankfully, Cynthia and Happy were both able to sense how unpleasant Natsu's aroma was at the moment, and Cynthia refused to put up with it despite the boy insisting she take the first shower since she was always cold.

"Just hurry up, and I'll be perfectly fine," she grumbled. "You're the one who got ground into the mud plus that thing's fur." Cynthia shuddered. "Make sure to check yourself over before you get in. Who knows what kinds of parasites that thing might have had?"

At the mention of the creepy crawlies that can lurk in a wild animal's fur, Loke could almost see a cold chill run up Natsu's spine in the way he shivered and shook himself.

"Fine," Natsu said. He squared his shoulders and sniffed as he took the clean set of clothes Cynthia held out to him. "I'll just take a quick one and be back in a minute."

"You do that."

Natsu nodded and disappeared into the bathroom connected to their room. As soon as the door latched, Cynthia started giggling. She pulled her hair down from its usual bun with a couple absent minded tugs, still shaking with mirth.

"Why are you laughing so much?" Happy asked. "It's kind of creepy."

Cynthia sat her hair ties on the window sill and turned to look over to where Happy was toweling himself off by the bathroom door. Her giggles died down, and she sighed before answering.

"I can't seem to help it after a certain point," she said with a shrug. "There are certain expressions or images or random thoughts or scenarios I find interesting and amusing all the time, but I can usually keep from giggling or becoming fixated when I'm rested. That inhibition is one of the first things that breaks down when I'm sleep deprived. It always has been."

Happy turned to look at Loke. "How'd you know about it?"

"We had the six to midnight shift on the Akane job," Loke answered. "We were both a little loopy from sleep deprivation for the first few days." He pulled a disgruntled expression at Cynthia. "She kept laughing every time I said anything."

"You speak entirely in cheesy pickup lines when you're around girls," Cynthia said around another fit of giggles. "Those one a.m. breakfasts with the ladies from Mermaid Heel were comedic gold!"

"Sounds like you two had a lot of fun," Happy said. Something in the tone he used pulled at Loke, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

"It was a good job," Cynthia said. Smiling, she stretched, and her back let out a series of audible pops that sent a shiver up Loke's spine. "Lot quieter than this one."

"Aside from that one night, it was a rather uneventful one," Loke agreed.

He looked around the room, hoping he could find a place to sit where his soaked clothing wouldn't ruin anything. It was a simple guest bedroom type of setup. There was one nice sized bed on the far side of the room with a wardrobe beside it. The writing desk and single chair were shoved into a corner to make room for a small cot that'd been brought in. Loke didn't want to risk dripping all over the cot to try and free the chair.

Cynthia was digging through her bag when he turned back around. She pulled something out and tossed it to him saying, "You're going to need these." She reached back into her bag and pulled out another one of the items.

Loke looked down at the little box he now held and opened it to find a set of ear plugs. He chuckled, remembering his amazement at how she managed to sleep through Natsu's snoring the night before. So she was wearing ear plugs the whole time.

The bathroom door opened, and Natsu walked out amid billowing steam. Loke was happy to note the stench the dragon slayer was emitting before was gone. He nodded his thanks to Cynthia and closed the little box again.

Loke slid his ever present coat off and hung it on the doorknob to dry. "Why don't you take the next shower?"

* * *

Natsu found himself alone in their room when he woke up about an hour before noon. He got something to eat in the market and spent the next half hour tracking down Cindy, Loke, and Happy. A tiny village like Valehaven almost never had a library, but he guessed it figured Aunt Cindy would manage to track one down if one existed to be found.

The library was little more than a storeroom at the back of the town's schoolhouse. Natsu had found Loke sitting at the only table surrounded by piles of books. Happy must have gotten bored because he lay curled up, snoozing away at the other end of the table, and Cindy walked over carrying yet another stack of books a couple of minutes after he arrived.

That was two hours ago, and he was still stuck here poking through musty books when they ought to be out tracking down the alpha while it was asleep. He'd tried to talk the two into leaving half a dozen times, but both kept insisting they needed to figure out what kind of monster it was they were hunting. Frowning, Natsu flipped through the book in front of him. He still couldn't see where it mattered. He had its scent. What more did they need to know other than how to find it? They were powerful wizards. Monster hunting was part of the job.

"I wish one of us could remember the name!" Cindy groaned. She fell back against the back of her chair and rubbed her eyes.

"That would make it a lot easier to find what we're looking for," Loke agreed. He closed the book he'd been looking through and shoved it aside before plucking another off the stack. "Big, smells like decay, and has a taste for human doesn't exactly narrow things down." He shook his head as he opened the new book. "It's a wonder humanity hasn't gone extinct."

"Then let's stop wasting time and go! Forget about what it's called, and let's kill the thing." Natsu flipped several pages as he continued. "It's not like we'll ever find it in…" He trailed off as his eyes landed on a drawing in the book before him. Natsu blinked and shook his head before looking again to make sure he wasn't imagining what he saw, but the illustration never changed.

"Or you can read this," he said and pushed the book toward Cindy and Loke.

Cindy's eyes widened as she saw the picture, which looked very similar to the two monsters they'd killed. She drug the book closer, and a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the page. "You found it!"

"Got lucky, more like," Loke muttered under his breath.

Natsu glared at the other man, and Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Who cares how he found it?" she asked with a shake of her head. "The important thing is it's found, now hush for a second." Cindy focused back on the entry Natsu had found, and she related the most important bits of what she read.

"It's a wendigo," she said. "They're man eating creatures most often found in cold or mountainous regions where food supplies can be scarce. There's some debate over what's lore and what's fact, but they seem to be some kind of possession spirits similar to vulcans though much stronger."

"Are you saying we killed people?" Loke said. The tone he used made him sound about as sick over the idea as Natsu felt, and he looked pale and green around the edges at the same time.

"Yes and no," Cindy said. She didn't exactly sound sure, and she didn't look much better off than Loke did. "It speaks about people being haunted in their dreams until they start going insane as the urge to eat their family, friends, and neighbors takes hold."

Natsu's temper flared hard enough that it took all the concentration he could muster to keep from engulfing the library in flames. The whole idea made him sick.

Cindy shuddered as she continued. "There are verbal accounts of instances where a victim was saved while in those first stages, but according to this, there are none once the person succumbs."

"So there's no hope of saving them."

Loke's expression was grim, but his tone sounded a touch relieved if sad. Natsu understood. He hated the fact those things were innocent people once, but he'd heard of this kind of takeover magic before. The soul of the one possessed gets consumed in the process, leaving nothing of the host behind but an empty shell. He was sad they hadn't arrived in time to save the victims, but he couldn't feel bad about wiping out the monsters that killed them.

"Does it say why that one last night didn't die when Loke stabbed it in the neck?" Natsu asked.

Cindy hummed to herself as she read farther into the entry. Her eyebrows began inching higher, and she paled. "The transformation is directly linked to their strength, which they get through consuming humans, wizards or those with high concentrations of magical power in particular. The more they kill, the larger and harder to kill they become." Her forehead scrunched, and she trailed a finger across the words as she kept looking. "Eventually, they can only be killed by destroying the heart, which is theorized to be the place where the demon uses the last vestiges of the human's soul to anchor themselves in the body."

"Good to know," Loke said. "What about the alpha? Or do they even have alphas?"

Cindy shrugged and waved a hand over the book. "Once again, it's not exactly clear. There's more lore than hard fact. I mean, the voice mimicking is in there, but there's contradicting accounts of their appearance and what they can do. Some say they have alphas and live in loose knit packs. Others say they're solitary creatures."

"Okay, what about the strongest ones then?" Natsu asked.

"Bigger, stronger, harder to kill, but destroying the heart should still work," Cindy answered. "If they have an alpha, and the two we saw in such close proximity seems to suggest they might, they're described as being fourteen to fifteen feet tall with matted, white fur, and…" she trailed off.

Cindy's eyes unfocused. Her body went rigid, and she blanched.

"Aunt Cindy?" Natsu waved a hand in front of her face. His heartbeat picked up and thundered in his ears when she didn't respond. He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake. "Wake up!"

Startling at the shaking, Cindy gulped in air almost like she did after the seizures she'd had the day she landed in Earthland. She blinked a few times as her eyes refocused, and she laid a hand over Natsu's. "I'm alright," she said. "But we have to warn the villagers."

"What did you sense, Cynthia?" Loke asked.

"Some of the accounts say Alphas can manipulate the weather," she said. "Either there's another weather wizard out there heading our way, or those accounts are right."

* * *

The sky was still clear when they exited the library, but Cindy could feel the elements being manipulated from somewhere nearby. It was a strange sensation. She couldn't sense the person or thing pulling the strings, but she could feel the shifts as they occurred on the edges of her weather perception. Who or whatever it was wasn't shy about exercising their power, and they had plenty of it.

"You three warn the villagers," she said. Cindy jerked her head one way and then the other, causing her neck to pop, and she shook out her arms and legs after sitting so long. "I'll be in the tower over there." She pointed to one of the watchtowers closest to where she sensed the changes happening. "I'm going to try and counter its magic."

"We need to go out and meet it away from the village," Loke argued.

"Normally, I'd agree, but it's moving too fast," Cindy said. She glanced back toward the west were a smudge of gray gathered on the horizon, and she gestured wide. "You can already see the leading edge, and it's trailing _behind_ the source!"

"Even if we took the fight to it, the villagers would get caught in the storm," Loke said, looking off to where the storm was brewing. His expression hardened, and he nodded. "Okay. Neutralize its weather magic, we'll handle the rest."

Cindy nodded and spun on her heel, sprinting toward the tower without another word. She heard the rustle of Happy's wings amidst the slap of her shoes against the road, and she caught a glimpse of him flying by with Natsu wrapped in his tail out of the corner of her eye. He was already calling out for the villagers to take shelter as she grabbed her inhaler from her pocket and took a dose of the medicine.

The fresh cut hay hadn't caused her too much grief so far today. Still, there was a good chance an impromptu jog would trigger an attack, and she couldn't risk it with an enemy barreling toward their gates. After the second puff, she snapped the protective cap back in place and shoved it back in her pocket.

"Take cover!" Cindy yelled as she pelted down the uneven streets. "The monster's coming, and it's bringing a storm."

She caught glimpses of villagers peeking out of windows and ducking around corners as she went. Spikes of their terror beat against her mental shields, making her head throb. Cindy stumbled through several steps, just barely managing to keep herself moving forward instead of hitting the ground, as she tried to reinforce them on the move.

Overhead, the watchman within the tower she ran toward trumpeted a warning to the villagers working outside the village walls. She heard the footfalls of dozens of villagers hurrying toward the opened gates, and she veered off the main road to avoid the stream of panicked people. She didn't slow down as she neared the tower but hit the ladder running.

"You can't come up here," the watchman protested as she climbed.

"I'm a weather wizard," Cindy said. "Unless you want this town hit by the full force of that storm…" She nodded toward the horizon that was growing darker by the minute. Lightning flashed in the clouds, and a peal of thunder rumbled a moment later. "You want me in this tower doing everything I can to cancel out the monster's magic! Or are you fond of tornadoes?"

The watchman paled and shook his head as he stepped aside. Cindy pulled herself up the rest of the way and clambered into the tower. The moment her feet settled on solid ground, she focused all her magical energy on detecting and neutralizing the wendigo alpha's magic.

* * *

Loke ran after Cynthia, sending bursts of light zooming down streets to draw people's attention outside. With as loudmouthed as Natsu was and the speed at which Happy flew him over the town, he figured the pair had warning the village more or less covered. So he decided to go meet the alpha as far out from the village as he could, trusting Natsu and Happy would catch up after they made a round of Valehaven.

He cursed under his breath as villagers poured in through the gate, blocking his way out of the town. Tapping into his diminishing celestial magic reserve, he teleported the hundred yards or so from where he'd been running to the edge of the forest beyond the wall. Centuries of experience kept him steady as he maintained his pace through the transition, hurdle jumping over a fallen tree and weaving through the brush.

Out past the press of people in the village, the cloying stench of decay the monsters shared was apparent. Cynthia's senses must be improving because she was dead on about the alpha from what his nose was picking up. Although the leading edge of the storm was several miles away, the alpha was just over a mile out and closing fast.

* * *

"That's it, Happy," Natsu said. He watched the villagers scurry for shelter as his friend carried him over their heads. "Let's go kill that thing as far away from here as we can."

"Aye sir," Happy agreed as he wheeled toward the storm Cindy had pointed out. "Max speed!"

Although Natsu had faith in his friend and pseudo son, he wrapped his arms over Happy's tail where it circled his chest. It made him a feel a bit more secure going at speeds this high, but making himself as small as possible also served to make it easier for Happy to go faster. He'd been bored all morning, and this whole job had been frustrating. Natsu was more than ready to pummel something, and the fact this was the last of the monsters and reason behind all the death and destruction this village had suffered made it all the better.

Even this high up, the stench of wendigo hit Natsu's nose like Erza's armored fist. It was close, and they were closing in fast. Natsu peered down through the trees, searching for something big and covered in white fur like the book said.

A flock of birds burst out of the treetops half a mile ahead, drawing Natsu's eye in that direction. He squinted into the shadows created by the thick foliage of the trees, and he saw the movement of something big nearing the edge of a clearing along the banks of the river Valehaven and its neighbors sat along. Natsu pointed to the thing he assumed was the alpha and told Happy to take them down.

Long fingered hands tipped with razor sharp claws wrapped around the trunks of young trees and pushed them to the side as Happy dropped Natsu on the stony shore. Pebbles and smooth stones ground together under his sandals. Natsu pulled in as much air as he could, fighting the urge to gag at the suffocating reek of death, and activated his dragon slayer powers as the alpha emerged from the forest's cover. He aimed a fire dragon roar dead center of its chest.

The power of his attack pushed the alpha back several feet, ramming its back into the still swaying trees it'd abused while leaving the woods. The alpha roared, swatting its distorted hands over the patches of fur that'd caught on fire. The acrid tang of burning hair added to the distasteful air in the clearing.

Natsu didn't give it time to snuff out the burning bits of fur. Loke was behind them now but catching up quick if he had to hazard a guess. Judging by the awkward way the other wizard was moving earlier, Natsu figured he'd gotten his hands on some kind of weapon or other when he'd left their room while Aunt Cindy showered the night before. If he could wear this monster down, Loke could deliver the killing bow, if he didn't finish the wendigo off before Loke caught up.

He followed his roar up with a wing attack followed by a flurry of punches. The alpha reeled back, shaking its head and flailing against the barrage. Thick spittle strung out from the dripping fangs as the alpha snapped at Natsu.

"Gross!" Happy exclaimed, leaping into the air and gliding away as a bit of it splattered on the rocks near his paws.

Natsu jumped out of the way and kicked out at the monster's head. His heel connected with the almost doglike jaw, and the alpha's head snapped back. The slayer was too busy grinning at his success to notice the massive hand hurtling toward him until it connected with his side, and he went cartwheeling into the water several yards downriver.

* * *

Loke broke through the treeline on the other side of the river just in time to see Natsu wholloped hard. He slowed to a stop at the water's edge, watching helplessly as his teammate sailed through the air and hit the water with a prodigious splash. Happy flew after the other wizard, so Loke didn't have to worry about the boy's safety.

He looked up and down river, hoping they were somewhere close to a bridge. The water was deep and fast moving here, and Loke had used as much of his celestial reserves as he dared in leaving the village. A strong swimmer he might be, but with its monstrous height, the wendigo alpha could wade across faster than Loke could swim it. In the end, he didn't have much of a choice.

With its fur still smoldering in some spots and flickering with remnants of Natsu's spells in others, the alpha ran into the river. The water churned under its feet until it was thick with foam until the creature sank too far to lift its legs above the surface. Farther and farther into the water it walked, until by the time it was in the middle of the river, the tip of its muzzle could be seen just breaking the surface.

Thunder rumbled, and the sky darkened overhead as the storm caught up with its master. Light droplets of water darkened the stones along the shoreline and were immediately dried by a cold wind.

Loke squinted against the dust and debris kicked up by the growing winds, and his jacket snapped as it was blown about. He reached over his shoulder and slipped a hand under the collar of his coat, groping blindly for the hilt of a short sword he'd borrowed from the town's armory the night before. He'd strapped the scabbard to his shoulder and hid it under his jacket as a backup since he'd suspected these things might be harder to eradicate than the average monster, but he didn't want to draw attention within the village. The citizens of isolated towns tended to be skittish enough around outsiders. He hadn't wanted them to be thought of as more of a threat than they already were by virtue of being wizards.

Loke pulled the blade free with a ringing scrape that sent shivers down his spine. He wasn't much for weapons, but his fists weren't much of a match for the bone that protected this thing's heart.

The alpha's head broke water again as it approached the eastern shore. It shook water from its fur, and its nostrils flared as it scented the air. Loke adjusted his grip on the sword he held as the alpha focused its glowing, yellow eyes on him. The creature huffed and bared fangs the size of dinner knives, picking up the pace at which it crossed the river upon sensing a new threat.

Shifting the hilt of his sword so he could activate one of his rings, Loke poured power into the stone. Light built up in the lacrima, and closing his eyes, he unleashed it in a blast aimed at the alpha's face. Even through closed lids, Loke could see the flash as the spell hit home. Again, the monster roared, but the sound was lost amidst another rolling rumble from the clouds overhead and the howl of wind through the trees.

"Watch where you're aiming, you crazy jerk!" Natsu yelled somewhere nearby.

Loke's eyes shot open to find a wide eyed and horrified looking Natsu clinging to the alpha's thrashing head. The way the slayer blinked and opened his eyes unnaturally wide simultaneously made Loke's heart sink and made him want to laugh as he realized what must have happened.

"Sorry," he yelled back at the other wizard instead. The wind picked up, stinging his cheeks as rain began falling around them. "I didn't know you were already back in the fight."

The alpha swung its claws wildly in all directions and bucked and twisted against the attackers it couldn't see. The hair on Loke's nape and arms stood on end before a half dozen lightning bolts sizzled to the ground all around the beach, and the deafening boom that followed shook the air. Loke clapped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees as it felt like his eardrums burst. The stones all around him clattered and shifted, and the clouds overhead churned as they began to twist.

"Come on, Cynthia," Loke said, he didn't know how loud with his voice soundless to his own ears. "We could use your help here."

Natsu's expression darkened as he yelled something at the monster and twisted his fists into the thing's fur. He yanked hard. The alpha tossed its head back with a howl, and it raised both arms to try and catch whatever was pulling its fur. Loke saw the opening and was moving to throw the short sword as Natsu called for him to strike now. He put a bit of his remaining life force into the throw, hoping it would give it enough power to break through the sternum.

The winds picked up another notch as the blade struck home. The trees whipped to and fro, whispering and creaking as they were pushed about. Darkness flashed around the sword's hilt and a black, tarry substance oozed from around the blade. The alpha wrapped one clawed hand around the hilt as it staggered forward, and it pulled the sword from its chest with a squelch. A bolt of lightning struck a tree near Loke, and the trunk exploded. Heavy chunks of smoking wood rained down around them, their splashes lost within the noise caused by the alpha's thrashing and the clash of thunder that followed. Shards and splinters swirled through the air, and numerous cracks and groaning sounded as trees began to give way to the wind.

The wendigo alpha crashed to its knees several yards from shore, and the sword fell into the water with a splash Loke could barely see over the river's storm tossed waters. Letting out yet another howling roar, the alpha fell forward, dragging Natsu with it, still clinging to its head.

"Natsu, jump!" Loke yelled over the din around him.

The slayer let go of the monster's fur and flung himself into the swirling air. Still blinded by the flash earlier, Natsu misjudged the distance and landed in chest deep water. His head dipped under for a second, and he came up coughing and sputtering a moment later. Loke caught snippets of him grumbling under his breath all the way toward the shore.

Pushing up from the rocky beach, Loke got back to his feet. He watched the fallen alpha's back where it rose just high enough to be exposed by the waves until it began to fade. Seeing it go made him breathe easier, even as the storm continued to rage around him.


	23. Aftermath

"Did we get it?" Natsu yelled as he waded toward shore. He waved his arms in front of himself, and he held his eyes open wide.

"Yeah," Loke answered.

Natsu changed direction a bit to head more toward Loke's voice, which was helpful since he was wading more downstream than toward the shore. "Then what's with the weather?" he asked.

Loke looked up at the sky through narrowed lids. The wind whipped his hair across his face, and it groaned through the forest around them. Rain fell about them in torrents, making their clothes cling to their skin. The clouds overhead were dark and moving toward the village fast.

"From what Cynthia's described, weather magic's tricky," Loke hollered back to Natsu. "It takes a lot of power to get it started, but once you do, it can keep going on its own because weather's a natural part of the world."

"So we killed that thing, but we can't stop the storm."

Natsu shook his sandaled feet as he stepped out on the shore. Loke smirked, fighting not to laugh at the useless gesture.

"Yes," Loke said. "There's nothing we can do." As he watched the clouds overhead began to twist, and it felt like he'd swallowed lead. He swallowed past a lump trying to form in his throat. "It's all up to Cynthia now."

The clouds continued to swirl in the sky above, and their dance began going faster. Loke's heartbeat picked up its pace by several notches. Natsu's attention zeroed in on him, and he asked what was going on. Loke gestured for Happy to follow and took Natsu by the shoulder, steering the still flash blinded wizard back toward the village.

"We're finding shelter to ride out this storm."

* * *

"Shit!"

Reese jumped at the expletive and glanced over at the weather wizard. Since she'd badgered her way into the watch tower, she'd stood focused but still and silent. Her hands were raised, and her eyes were closed all this time. When a plume of flame and smoke rose a mile or two out, her hands began to shake. When lightning began to flash in the same spot, her complexion went sallow, and beads of sweat began to form on her brow.

It didn't look like she was doing much of anything, but he knew enough about magic to know not all styles were as flashy as others. Reese couldn't see what the weather wizard was doing, but he could see the strain it was putting on her. The storm was getting closer and more fierce by the minute, and the sky was shifting to a sickly green that filled him with a sense of dread. Now the wizard was cursing.

"Go. Take shelter," she said through grit teeth. Her breath became ragged, and her posture began to droop.

"What is it?" he asked. "What about you?"

"A tornado's trying to form," she said. "I'm trying to stop or at least weaken it."

Trying to swallow the fear stirring in his gut, Reese glanced back at the storm. Sure enough, the middle of the clouds looked like someone had pinched them and began to pull downward. He'd lived his whole life in this town and another one nestled even farther up in the mountains. Tornadoes happened, but they weren't a common thing. He only remembered one that'd struck when he was eleven and flattened half the village he and his family lived in at the time. He'd had nightmares for months, and now it was coming to life before him again.

The wind picked up, and a drizzling rain began to fall as the leading edge of the storm reached them.

"You can't stay up here," he argued. The wizard swayed, and she paled another few shades. Truth be told, she looked horrible. She'd gone stark white, and she looked about ready to drop.

"I've." The wizard swayed again. Her brow furrowed, and she clenched her jaw. "Got to."

A creaking boom sounded off to the east, drawing Reese's attention. A fully formed tornado roared to life a mile away. Debris swirled around the edges. He could see the trees swaying and hear them groaning, but none were being uprooted by the slim funnel.

Rain began to fall in earnest, and the wind swirled around them. It tore tendrils of dark hair from the bun she wore and shook the tower as it rushed over the support beams. The sweater she wore had gone so dark it looked black as it soaked in the rain. The material grew heavy, hanging off her trembling arms like weighted chains.

"Die you stupid…" The wizard's voice trailed off. She swayed again, but this time, she didn't catch herself. The woman's arms fell by her side as she slumped to the floor of the tower.

Reese whimpered. He couldn't leave a wizard the village contracted there helpless with a storm like that on the way, but there was no way he'd be able to carry her down on his own. Should he stay and keep watch or call for help? Reese shook his head. All calling for help would do is put three lives in danger in place of two.

Heart hammering in his chest, Reese looked back to the storm, praying to every deity he'd ever heard of the weather wizard managed to stop the worst of it before she collapsed. The funnel cloud he saw before wasn't big, but it touched the ground. Squinting through the pouring rain now, he watched it thin until the funnel broke. Relief flooded him as the newborn tornado was reabsorbed back into the clouds.

Reese's legs began to shake as the surge of adrenaline ebbed, and he eased himself down onto the tower's floor. He shivered, as much at the thought of what might have happened as the chill of the rain pouring through his hair and down his back. His gaze fell on the wizard. She looked like death warmed over, but she was breathing.

"Thank you," he sighed.

* * *

"Out of time. Hit the dirt!" Loke said as he saw the funnel begin to form. He pushed Natsu forward before throwing himself down onto the ground and covering his head with his hands.

"What's the big idea?" Natsu asked. He'd caught himself and still stood there blinking toward the sky like an idiot.

"A tornado's coming, Natsu," Happy explained. "Lay down and protect your head like Loke."

"How's that supposed to do anything?" Natsu asked. His voice raised another few notches as the tornado's rumbling got louder.

The trees swaying got worse, and a few of them started to creak and snap. Natsu jumped when one close to them lost a limb only to have it blown away instead of crash to the ground. Thinking better of questioning the advice he was given, Natsu laid down and crossed his arms over his head.

"If I die because of your stupid advice, I'm haunting you," he said.

* * *

The tornado died almost the moment it was born, and it was a weak one compared to the few Loke had seen in his long lifetime. It damaged a few trees and blew a bunch of trash around, but it didn't uproot any of the healthy growth in the forest. The clouds overhead continued to swirl, but they didn't look strong enough to spawn another tornado.

He'd said as much to Natsu and Happy as soon as he figured they were clear to start heading back to the village. None of them were exactly happy after having to lay in the muck, and they were all anxious to get back.

"Soaked through twice in two days," Natsu grumbled as he stalked forward. He still waved his arms out in front of him, but he was beginning to swerve around trees before hitting them with his hands. "That's got to be some kind of record."

"Maybe it's Mother Nature telling you to bathe more often," Loke mumbled.

"Come say that to my face," Natsu shot back, waving a fist in Loke's general direction.

"Maybe when you can see more than a couple feet in front of your face," Loke answered. He tromped past Natsu and Happy.

"Coward."

Loke growled low in his chest. "Hardly," he said with a shake of his head. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about Cynthia?" he asked. "She's gotten a lot stronger in the past few weeks, but this storm's well beyond her. And you know how stubborn she is."

"I know," Natsu said, growing serious and catching back up to Loke. "Chances are she's either still trying to stop this mess or worked herself into magic deficiency."

"Natsu starts fights to distract himself sometimes," Happy chimed in from his perch on Natsu's head. "It's not always because he's bored."

"I see," Loke said more to himself than either of his companions. And he did. In fact, a lot of Natsu's past actions made a bit more sense with that insight into his motivations. "Still, now's not the time."

"I guess not," Natsu agreed.

* * *

As they'd suspected, Aunt Cindy had fought the alpha's weather magic until she emptied out her magic reserve and passed out. Once the storm had calmed a bit, the villagers had carried her down from the watch tower and took her to the town healer. The woman cared for her as best as she could, but Valehaven didn't have any wizards or even many magic users at all. She didn't know what to do for Magic Deficiency Disease, so she'd just gotten her warm and dry and let her rest.

"That's all you can do really, from what I understand," Loke told the healer. He smiled at the old lady who fussed over Aunt Cindy. "She should recover with rest."

"I hope you're right, dear," said the healer. She looked from Loke to Natsu and back. "Why don't you boys go get cleaned up. I'll call you if there's any change."

Natsu and Loke thanked the healer before heading back to the room they'd been given. The storm was still going outside, but it looked like it was dying down. Natsu took a quick shower before putting back on the clothes he'd worn the day before. He frowned at the material as he smoothed it down. After they'd all gotten cleaned up the evening before, Aunt Cindy had washed all their clothes in the sink and hung them to dry. He'd fussed at her to just leave it and go to bed, but she'd insisted saying there was a good chance they'd need a clean change of clothes after today's hunt. He decided to take a lesson from her.

Filling the sink with water and a bit of the shampoo they'd been given, he washed the muck covered clothes as best as he could. They weren't perfect. But most of the mud was gone, and they didn't smell like they'd been wrapped around roadkill for a week. He wrung them out and left the bathroom.

"You're dripping on the floor," Loke said when he went back into the room.

"I'll dry it up," Natsu said. He laid the clothes over the back of a chair and nodded toward the bathroom. "Your turn."

"Alright." Loke dug some dry clothes out of his bag and disappeared into the other room.

Natsu used his magic to evaporate the water from his mostly cleaned clothes, the floor, and the chair. He'd been working on gaining greater control over the past year, and he managed it without setting anything on fire. The chair might have gotten a bit scorched in a couple of spots, but they weren't too bad. Nothing a bit of paint wouldn't fix anyway.

Natsu felt soft fur brush by his ankles several times while he was drying the clothes, but he pretended not to notice. Happy had spent half their trek back to the village to clear the dirt and muck from his fur by using the pouring rain like a shower, and he disappeared the moment they were inside the village walls. That much water matted his fur down, making him look scrawny and rather pitiful, and Happy was touchy about the way he looked when soaked. Anytime it happened, he'd hide away until his fur dried and fluffed back up. It was just one more way he was like any other cat, embarrassed to seem undignified, so Natsu pretended not to notice his friend using him like his own personal dryer.

A few minutes later, all members of their party once again clean and dry, Loke, Natsu, and Happy made their way to the mayor's office. They related their hunts and found out how the village fared in the resulting storm.

"There's been very little damage, all things considered," said the mayor. "With the ruckus you all made this afternoon, we expected much worse."

"Cynthia wasn't sure what she could do against the alpha," Loke answered. "She thought it best to be cautious."

"It wasn't a reprimand," the mayor said. "The watchman who was working the east tower says we owe her a debt of gratitude." He gave them a tight smile and leaned back in his chair. "I understand she's taken ill."

"She used too much magic all at once," Natsu broke into the conversation. "She'll bounce back as she gets her magic back."

"Good. Good." The mayor fidgeted with his hands, and the gesture made Natsu uncomfortable. "I imagine you'll be leaving once she's recovered then?"

"Yeah," Natsu agreed.

"Mr. Mayor," Loke said, drawing the attention of the others. "Might I suggest reaching out to your neighbors and working together to improve the roads?" He looked at the town's leader like he didn't think much of the man's intelligence. "Strengthening the trade between your village and its neighboring towns too. These creatures use tough times to gain a foothold in isolated places like Valehaven, and being more interconnected with other villages and towns might prevent you having trouble with them again."


	24. Why Don't People Just Talk?

Aunt Cindy was awake by the time they'd finished speaking with the mayor and made it back to the healer's home. The little old lady insisted she stay overnight, just in case. Natsu hadn't seen why such a thing was necessary. But it did them no harm, and it made her feel better. So he wasn't going to argue with the woman.

Cindy was back to normal and ready to go the next morning anyway. So they collected their payment and hit the road back to the guild.

Natsu spent what bits of the two day journey he wasn't preoccupied with keeping his breakfast down trying to make sense of the conflicting thoughts and weird emotions he'd experienced on this job. Aunt Cindy was smart and becoming a stronger wizard by the week. With the way she was training now, she'd be almost as strong as he was now in a couple years. He and Happy got along with her pretty well. She kept him from making dumb mistakes and taught him how to do a few new things without beating the crap out of him like Erza did when they were kids. So why did the idea of teaming up with her all the time make him feel bad?

Images from a nightmare he'd had their last night in Valehaven kept flashing through his mind. An older Cindy and he fought like he did with Gray, but it was more than a friendly sparing match. She'd thrown lightning bolts and another tornado he couldn't see at him while screaming he'd ruined her life, keeping her from finding a way home with one job after another.

The Aunt Cindy in his dream was terrifying, but it was his own actions that really scared Natsu. He'd fought back with everything he had, enraged by her desire to leave him behind and aiming to kill.

Natsu didn't want to believe he was capable of treating his family like that, but the flashes of anger and hurt he'd felt over the last few days made him wonder.

* * *

Loke watched as Cynthia once again tried to sooth away as much of Natsu's motion sickness as she could on the train. Cynthia, Happy, and he traded stories back and forth as the train car swayed, and they tried to ignore the pathetic groans Natsu let out every now and again.

The dragon slayer had been uncharacteristically quiet since they'd left Valehaven, and Loke didn't know what to make of it. Natsu had been prickly and sullen throughout the job. He'd seemed more or less himself the night after they killed the alpha windigo, following Cynthia's recovery, but he'd woken sullen again the next morning. He'd barely spoken to any of them all the way back to the train station, and his appetite wasn't up to its usual ravenous standards.

The change in his guildmate concerned Loke, and he could see the same worry in Happy and Cynthia's eyes.

"So it turns out it wasn't fleece at all but a knit material crammed in the wrong section," Cynthia continued the story she'd been telling. "I was in such a hurrying and trying to remember so many things, I didn't even realize it until I got home and went to cut it up to line the cages. Keep in mind now, this is an obnoxiously bright green cloth, and I have a bunch of it. I mean, I meant to make multiple liners for this big cage for months, right?"

"What'd you do with it?" Happy asked.

"I was learning how to sew using a machine," Cynthia answered. "So I thought I might try to make my youngest a play dress." Her eyes misted over, and a sad smile played on her lips. "She loves poke your eyes out bright colors, and it was super soft. That's why I mistook it for fleece when it was bundled up on the bolt."

"How did it turn out?" Loke asked.

"It didn't," Cynthia answered with a shake of her head. Her chin quivered, and she blinked several times in rapid succession. "I cut out the pieces and got them pressed. I was going to start sewing after I got the groceries put up, but I never made it home."

Loke's heart clenched, and he felt like a heel as he watched Cynthia look away, out the window. With the way she was blinking and the periodic trembling of her lower lip made it obvious she was fighting not to cry.

"Where?" Cynthia's voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before trying again. "Where would someone look up lineages connected to specific forms of magic?" she asked without looking away from the window.

"There are a few different places," Loke answered. "But the library in Crocus might be the most complete."

Cynthia nodded. She continued watching the countryside fly by in silence for several moments before squaring her shoulders and turning her attention back to Happy and him. "So what was Natsu like when you hatched?" she asked Happy.

"Short," the cat answered.

* * *

Charissa was waiting at the guildhall when they walked in, and she nearly bowled Loke over with her enthusiastic greeting. Wrapping an arm around the brunette's waist, Loke parted ways with Cynthia, Natsu, and Happy and guided them to their usual table. Gray and Cana were already sitting there nursing drinks. Well, Gray had a tankard of beer sitting in front of him, and Cana was hefting her "boyfriend" over her head.

"So, finally back from the job with matches for brains and his aunty, huh?" Gray asked as Loke and Charissa sat down. "How much pay did you lose repairing damages he caused?"

"Surprisingly little," Loke answered. "Cynthia's got a knack for reining him in or working damage control."

"Oh, I'm sure you were just perfect all on your own, Loke darling," Charissa cooed. She'd draped herself over his right arm, and she'd turned her big, brown eyes up at him. "I want to hear how you saved that poor village."

They spent the next hour or so swapping stories of their latest jobs and what happened at the guild while the others were away. After a while, Natsu picked a fight with Gray, and Cana got in a drinking competition with Wakaba, confident in her stamina despite having a rather large head start on the man. He and Charissa continued to talk about this and that with her staying as close to him as she could while staying within the confines of common decency in public until she excused herself a bit more than half an hour later.

Loke didn't pay much attention to where she went until he noticed she seemed to be following Cynthia out of the guild. Flashes of a few odd expressions she'd worn and things she said passed through his memory, and he grew worried. Charissa had expressed disdain for the other woman a few times, and she was acting strange tonight. Combined with the fact she was hanging around the guildhall alone and the twinkle he'd seen Mira'd had in her eye the last time he'd seen her, he was almost certain nothing good would come of whatever she was planning.

So he followed them.

Loke made sure to stay far enough back from the women they wouldn't notice him following as they made their way out of the guild's back exit. He ducked back around the corner as Charissa called out to Cynthia just outside the building.

"You need to leave Loke alone," Charissa spat at the older woman.

Cynthia's expression was puzzled when she turned to face Charissa. "Are you talking to me?" she asked.

"Yes I'm talking to you," Charissa said. "Are you as stupid as you are fat?"

"Depends on the day," Cynthia shot back. Her cheeks reddened, and her eyes took on a hard glint matched by the thinning of her lips. "Am I harming him?"

"Yes," Charissa answered. "I bet he could have finished his last job in a day if it weren't for you and that idiot nephew of yours." She scoffed. "Don't you realize you're just humiliating yourself, chasing after a younger man?"

Cynthia laughed. "Do you think I'm trying to seduce Loke?"

Charissa's expression went slack, and she stumbled for words without managing to get anything more than a few unintelligible squeaks out.

Loke's heart hammered in his chest as he watched the women. He was no stranger to the jealousy humans felt so readily, and he took pains to avoid witnessing it, especially over him. He didn't want to see them fight, but he also couldn't help feeling a bit wounded Cynthia laughed at the idea.

Rolling her eyes, Cynthia said, "You have nothing to worry about from me."

"Yeah right."

"Loke and I are just coworkers," Cynthia said.

"Oh, that's what you'd like for me to think, isn't it?" Charissa said. She stalked toward the larger woman. "We're just coworkers. You have nothing to worry about from me. Then next thing I know you come back from another mission married or something."

"Have you spoken to him about this notion of yours?" Cynthia asked.

Charissa hummed. "Oh, you've got him fooled, you cow," she growled. "He can't say enough good about you, and he's real quick to defend you. But I see how you are."

"And how's that?"

"Pathetic!" Charissa threw her hands in the air. "Playing on a younger man's sympathies to seduce him. What's the matter? Can't get a man your own age?"

"Oh no," Cynthia answered in a tone that was even and quiet. "I'm quite happily married to a man my own age as you put it."

"And how does he feel about you going off on jobs with another man?"

Cynthia shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she said. "An unlucky turn separated us just before I joined the guild as a way to support myself as I look for the way home."

"He's imaginary, you mean."

Cynthia's face flushed red again, and she took a step toward Charissa, placing them nose to nose. "Lee's very real, and I miss him and our daughters more than words can express." Her hands curled into fists so tight her knuckles blanched, and she trembled with the restrained rage clear in her tone. "Go ask Loke about them. He can tell you how hard I've been working to get back to them. He should know. He's been helping me look."

"So that's how you did it," Charissa murmured so low Loke never would have heard it if it weren't for his superior sense of hearing. "You concocted some story to make him feel sorry for you and try to help. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Cynthia and Charissa stared each other down for several long minutes before Cynthia sighed and shook her head.

"I give up," she mumbled to herself. "You're obviously determined to believe what you want to believe. I'm not going to sit here and try to get you to see reason when you're set on seeing me as a homewrecker."

"Don't talk down to me!" Charissa shrieked. "I'll admit you're a decent actress. You make it seem like you believe your own lies, but I'm not dumb enough to fall for it."

"What makes you so certain I'm lying?"

"Mira said…"

"Mira?" Cynthia jumped in, pointing back toward the guild. "Mirajane, the sweet little barmaid in there, put this idea in your head?"

"She said you and Loke made the cutest couple, and he hasn't said one word to me or the other girls about you and him," Charissa ranted. "Yes, he has a broad eye and a heart that takes a while to settle, but he's never gotten sweet on another girl without telling all of us before. You have to be corrupting him!"

"Have you stopped to think Mirajane might be wrong?" Cynthia asked.

Loke felt a cold wave wash over him even as his ears burned. He knew that look had meant trouble, but he'd dismissed it out of hand. Now his reluctance to talk to the takeover mage was coming back to bite him.

"She's the barmaid," Charissa answered. "Everyone knows they know all the gossip."

Cynthia laughed. "Gossip, not truth!" she exclaimed. "Anyone who's known Mira for any length of time knows she's Fiore's biggest shipper, and she's more than a little excitable." She chuckled and shook her head. "I guarantee you she got an image of us in her head the other day when we were just talking shop and got so excited she forgot I'm only passing through."

"Surely no one's that…"

"Don't you say it," Cynthia broke in again. "Mira's a good girl, just excitable." Her expression went stern without losing any of its fondness. "And trust me, I'll be having a few words with her the next time I see her, but I won't have you insulting my friends."

Loke watched as his new friend considered his girlfriend. Her expression shifted from angry to something he could only describe as motherly.

"If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that it's easiest to see the worst in others when we aren't sure of ourselves," Cynthia said. "If you feel threatened by the comradery and friendship Loke and I have developed working together, you need to ask yourself why you feel insecure in your relationship with him. If it's something to do with the way you see yourself, work on whatever it is making you feel that way, and don't be afraid to talk things out with Loke."

The two studied each other for a few seconds before Charissa gave a reluctant nod. "I suppose you have a point," she said. "There's just one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?"

"If you aren't interested in Loke that way, and you actually do respect us as much as you try to make it seem, why do you look at us all the way you do when you see the other girls and me with Loke?"

Cynthia's eyes got big as she responded, "Oh that." She flushed again and rubbed the back of her neck before sighing.

"I've known a few young men like Loke," Cynthia said as she let her arm drop down to her side. "They never mean to hurt the girls who fall for them, but it inevitably happens. I've played agony aunt to too many broken hearted young women to not feel trouble brewing when I see it."


	25. Catharsis

Confrontation over, Loke hurried back to the table he and Charissa were sitting at before. She returned a few minutes later, and they carried on as usual until it started getting late. He walked her home, acting like he didn't have a clue about her confrontation with Cynthia and waiting for her to bring the subject up. She asked him in, still saying nothing, and being exhausted and without a ready excuse, Loke accepted.

It wasn't until later, when he was beginning to doze that she spoke up.

"Loke," she murmured as she drew lazy circles over his skin. "How do you feel about Cynthia?"

"She's a good friend," he answered with a yawn. "Someone I'd trust to have my back."

Charissa shifted in his arms, burrowing closer to his side and giving up her drawing to wrap a slender arm around his waist. "If you were beginning to fall for her, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes." Loke lifted the arm he had wrapped around the woman's shoulders and smoothed her hair. "You know I would. Haven't I always?"

Charissa nodded against his chest, but he felt the warmth and dampness of tears slide over his ribs.

"Hey now," Loke said, shifting onto his side and lifting Charissa's chin to look her in the eye. He dried her tears with a caress. "What has you so upset?"

"It's just," she started before trailing off for a moment. "You're with her all the time now, and Mirajane was saying how well you two worked together. And weren't you a cute couple? I feel like I never get to see you anymore, and you're slipping away from me." As she spoke, Charissa's voice filled with passion until she was almost stumbling over her words as they tumbled from her lips, and she clung to him so tightly, his ribs ached. More tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I've made you feel that way," Loke said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm being selfish." Charissa squeezed her eyes shut, sending the gathered tears tumbling down her cheeks as she looked away.

"It's not selfish to ask for what you need," Loke disagreed. "It's part of being in a relationship." Charissa kept her face turned away from him, and he could feel her trembling.

"Tell me what you want, Charissa," Loke murmured in her ear. "Tell me what you need."

"You!" A sob wracked her body, and her eyes glistened as she turned back to him. "I need you, Loke. I want you. As my husband and the father of my children!" Fresh tears streaked down her face, and she dashed them away with a violent swipe of her hand.

"I've been patient, and I've been understanding," she continued, pulling away enough to sit up and turn so she looked down at Loke. "The others are sweet girls. I understand why you love them. I don't want them to be hurt, but I don't like sharing you either!" The admission seemed to catch her by surprise. Charissa's eyes went wide, and she gasped. A second later, her posture sagged, and she dropped her gaze to the bed.

"I can't keep doing this," she whispered. "I can't keep waiting for you and getting my heart trampled on in the process." Charissa took a deep breath before turning eyes filled with worry and sorrow on him once again. "Will you ever choose me?"

Loke's chest tightened as his heart broke for her. His eyes burned as his vision blurred, and his arms ached to reach out and pull her into an embrace and reassure her. Yet, as much as he wanted to spare her hurt, doing so would only lead to more sorrow down the road.

Sitting up, Loke cradled Charissa's face in his hands. New tears welled in her eyes and tumbled down her cheeks, and he wiped them away with his thumbs. "I can't be the man you want me to be," he said. "As much as I love you, and I do, I can't give you what you want and need." He sighed and leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. "I've known that for a while now, but I wasn't willing to give you up. I've been the selfish one, and I'm sorry I've hurt you."

Charissa trembled under his touch, and he both heard and felt her choke back another sob.

"Please, promise me you'll find a man worthy of you," Loke continued. "One who will cherish you and be a good father to your children, and know if you ever need me, call. So long as I live, I'll come to your aid."

Charissa's trembling intensified, but she nodded, whispering her promise to him. Loke pressed one final kiss to her forehead, pulled his clothes back on, and left with a heart heavy with guilt and sorrow.

* * *

After finishing his dinner at the guild, Natsu told Happy he wanted to go home the long way to burn off some steam. Happy had told him to go ahead. He was feeling sleepy after the fish and saucer of cream Mira'd saved for him, and he wanted to stay behind to hear her new stories after his nap.

Relieved he had a bit of time to himself, Natsu followed an old path just starting to become overgrown. As he walked along it, Natsu picked some of the wildflowers growing beside the path until, at last, he held a small bouquet of them. The trail led into the forest, to the ruins of the little hut where he and Lisanna played house as kids. In its stead stood a makeshift grave he'd built for his friend and guildmate months before. Mira and Elfman hadn't been able to bring her body back, and Natsu felt closer to her here than at the empty grave they'd set up for her at the church.

Natsu sat down in front of the grave and laid the flowers at the base of the stone he'd erected. Overhead, the sky glowed in streaks of reds, purples, and gold as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon.

"Hey, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" he said. "Sorry about that." Natsu let out an embarrassed chuckle and scrubbed the back of his neck. "You know me. I get caught up with work and training, and I lose all track of time."

A breeze ruffled his hair and tugged at the ends of his scarf. He imagined it was her spirit teasing him, and the thought made him smile.

"Mira and Elfman are doing just fine," he said. "Mira's turning out to be one heck of a barmaid, and Master's real pleased with the way she represented the guild in Sorcerer's Weekly last month." Natsu felt his expression fall a bit remembering the creepy expression Makarov had on his face the day that edition came out, and he shuddered. "Elfman's the same. He really threw himself into training, pushing himself to get stronger. You'd be proud of him. You're brother's always been big, but he's the size of a house now!"

The breeze shifted, blowing the fluff off a clump of dandelions at the edge of the clearing. Natsu watched them dance and swirl through the air.

"You'll never guess what happened back toward the end of March," Natsu continued a moment later. "Happy and I saw a woman come flying through a magic circle. She was real hurt, so we got her back to the guild. That scary healer woman helped her. Turns out she's a family member of mine! Imagine that."

Eyes burning, Natsu blinked hard several times and rubbed his eyes. "I finally found someone from my birth family." He sniffed. "Master says she's from another world, so she's not really my relative, just a copy of one, like that makes any difference. She's been living with me and Happy and working at the guild." He looked up, imaging Lisanna's spirit sitting across from him, smiling. He smiled back. "It's been great!"

Imaginary Lisanna's smile faded, and she tilted her head. A look of concern marred her expression, and she raised her brows.

"We went on a job a few days ago," Natsu answered the figment's inquiry. "Loke tagged along because he and Aunt Cindy became friends and training buddies while working a job several weeks ago. That was annoying, but whatever." He shrugged and sighed. "Thing is, the whole job felt wrong. No matter what Loke said or Aunt Cindy did, I kept getting so mad. They kept wanting to stop and look stuff up when we shoulda just hunted the monsters down and pummel them, and then Aunt Cindy went and used too much magic during the last fight."

Natsu's eyes unfocused, and he fell silent for a moment.

"She wasn't even there!" he said. "Cindy stayed back at the village and fought the monster's weather magic with her own while Loke and I killed the thing." He growled. "Loke ended up blinding me with one of his spells during the fight, and the first thing I saw clearly was Aunt Cindy laying unconscious on a healer's bed...again!"

The warm breeze blew through his hair again. Natsu's chest ached, and he pulled his knees up, hugging them.

"I've been having nightmares ever since," he mumbled into his knees. "I guess I should have told you before, but Aunt Cindy has a family back home. Her husband and two little girls don't know where she is or if she's okay, and she doesn't know how to get back to them." He whapped his head against his knees a couple of times and buried his face in his scarf. "I keep forgetting about that," he whispered.

Somewhere deep in the trees, a bird let out a low, mournful call.

Natsu shifted enough to peer at the headstone and the vision of his friend sitting beside it. She frowned at him.

"I keep dreaming it's years from now, and we're fighting," he explained. "She blames me for keeping her from finding a way home to her husband and daughters." Natsu dug his fingers into his shins. "But in the dreams, I'm so angry it scares me. I'm so mad she doesn't want to stay here with me and Happy, I hate her!"

Hot tears streaked down Natsu's face and splattered against his knees as darkness began to settle around him. The image of Lisanna rippled. The bird called again as the vision stood, making her way toward Natsu with odd, flowing steps. She settled at his side, wrapping insubstantial arms around him in a ghostly hug. A chill settled over him, making Natsu shiver as he hid his face in his knees again.


	26. Shift Part 1

Loke was already waiting for her in their training clearing when Cindy arrived. His face was pale and drawn. There were dark circles forming under his eyes. His usually immaculate clothes were rumpled, and even the unruly mass of orange hair on top of his head looked deflated as it clung to his forehead.

Turning in the form he was running, Loke noticed her approach and acknowledged her with a nod as he kept going. Cindy laid her purse on the small boulder sitting at the edge of the clearing before stripping off the over-sized sweater, leaving her in the plain tee and loose fitting pants she preferred. She'd go back to the house, shower, and change into something less sloppy looking when they'd finished training as usual. After all, any Southern lady has it browbeaten into her as a child that there are clothes that are okay to wear at home or the gym, but you must never be seen in them while out and about.

"Looking sloppy is a sign of disrespect," Cindy could hear her mother's voice chiding in the back of her mind any time she was tempted to just stick with her comfy clothes. "Toward those around you and for yourself. A lady looks put together, even if it's uncomfortable. You can change when you get home."

The memory made her chuckle as she folded the camouflage monstrosity she wore almost constantly these days and tossed it over her purse. Her guild mark alone would give Mama a minor heart attack if she ever saw it.

The crunch of leaves drew Cindy's attention away from her memories and back into the present. She looked up to find Loke done with his form and making his way over to where she stood.

They exchanged quiet greetings, and he took a long drink from his water bottle. Cindy leaned with her hips pressed back against the boulder, and she frowned and tilted her head to one side as she considered her younger friend.

"You look like hell," she said, concern heavy in her tone. "What happened?"

"Didn't sleep well," Loke answered with a shrug and took another drink from his water.

Lips thinning, Cindy scoffed. "You never sleep well," she grumbled. "What happened?"

"Charissa and I broke things off."

The snappish response was coupled with another pulse of sadness and guilt spiked with irritation, and it hit Cindy hard. Her heart stuttered enough to make her chest ache, and her gut tied itself in knots. Guilt and shame settled like lead chains around her shoulders as the discussion she'd had with one of Loke's girlfriends the night before replayed in her mind.

"Oh Loke," she said. "I'm…"

"Don't," he interrupted.

Startled, Cindy watched dumbly as Loke capped his water bottle and stowed it with his jacket. The emotions she sensed from the younger mage flickered and faded as she felt him erecting the shields she'd taught him how to build, leaving her with only body language and tone to gauge him. The weight she felt pressing on her grew.

Loke sighed and ruffled his hair with his right hand. The orange spikes perked up to something resembling their usual mane-like state for a moment before wilting once more.

"I know Charissa confronted you about some fool notion she got in her head about us starting some affair or something thanks to Mira's overeager matchmaking tendencies," Loke said. "And I know what you told her."

Cindy went to apologize again, but Loke cut her off with a raised hand before she'd managed to say more than, "I'm."

"Don't go blaming yourself because it's wasn't your fault," Loke said with a shake of his head, tone firm. He rubbed both hands over his face and groaned.

"It's something that's been coming for a long time," he said. Loke dropped his hands back down to his sides and gazed up at the sky through the break in the canopy overhead. "Charissa wants a man who'll settle down and give her a gaggle of kids. Always has as long as I've known her, and that's not something I can do."

A sad smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "I was too much of a selfish coward to call things off until I saw just how miserable my selfishness was making her last night." He turned his head toward Cindy, sad smile still in place and tears gathering in his eyes. "That conversation you had with her last night might have been the catalyst, but it wasn't the cause. So you shouldn't feel guilty."

"I'm still sorry you and her are hurting," Cindy said.

"I appreciate that," Loke answered with a watery chuckle and pushed away from the boulder. "Enough chit chat." He shook his head and walked backwards out into the clearing. "I could use a distraction. So do we train, or do I go challenge Cana to a drinking contest?"

Cindy gave an exaggerated hum. "Bruises or liver damage," she mock mused as she too pushed away from the boulder and followed. "Training's more productive," she shrugged.

* * *

Loke in search of distraction was a bit of a sadist, it seemed. He'd pushed her more sparing than he ever had before, even going so far as to bring their magic into the mix for the first time. She had to resort to using telepathic pressures to slow him down and telekinetic attacks just to keep up.

Had it been any other day, Cindy would have tapped out well before the first hour was up, but her friend was hurting. As they spared, she could see him relaxing into the focus fueled half-trance that can come with combat for some, and she could sense the weight lifting from him. So she persisted until she'd once again emptied her magic well, and her legs refused to hold her up anymore.

Fighting to catch her breath, Cindy rolled onto her back in the dust and squeezed her eyes shut against the mid-morning sun. She heard the thud of Loke's footsteps approaching and flapped a hand toward him.

"I give," she groaned.

A shadow fell over her face, and Cindy looked up to see Loke looking down at her, shoulders slouched and hands buried in his pockets.

"About time," he said, giving her a half grin as he sat down beside her. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard sparring. Not like it's a real fight."

"You needed a distraction," Cindy answered with a shrug. The flinch and grimace Loke made in response tugged at her, so she followed it up with, "And I'll never get any stronger if I don't push myself."

"So you pushed yourself until you collapsed?" Loke's eyebrows shot up so far they almost hit his hairline. "In the forest?"

Cindy laughed. "What? Places like this were my playground as a child." The skeptical look Loke shot her brought Cindy up short, and she reconsidered her reasoning with a wince. "Of course, we didn't have monsters like actual windigos and vulcans back home."

"Didn't think about that did you?"

"No," Cindy mumbled. Huffing, she crossed her arms and shrugged again. "Natsu keeps this place cleared out though, so you don't have to stick around on my behalf. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"Not going to happen," Loke scoffed with a shake of his head.

He pushed himself off the ground and trotted over to the boulder where their belongings sat. Cindy let her head loll to the side, so she could see what he was doing. He slung the strap of her purse over one shoulder before donning the huge coat he seemed to always wear no matter the weather. Then he checked the cap on his water bottle before cramming it into a pocket and stalking back over to her.

Crouching back down beside her, Loke offered her a hand, and she took it. Loke pulled her up into a sitting position and draped her arm around his shoulders as he slipped his other arm around her. At that point, Cindy expected him to help her stand, but once he'd settled her arm around his shoulders, he moved to scoop her up under the knees instead. Warring embarrassment and fear had her flushing hot and cold at the same time.

"Don't!" she yelped. She went stiff, and her nails dug into his shoulder. "I'm way too heavy! You'll hurt yourself."

Loke scowled at her, sliding his arm under her knees and hefting her up anyway. "Relax," he grumbled. "I'm stronger than I look."

With that, he shifted into a wider stance and stood, using his legs instead of his back to lift her not inconsiderable weight. She'd lost a fair bit since coming to Earthland sure, but Cindy knew she was still far from "normal." Even at her slimmest, Lee had almost thrown his back out trying to carry her over the threshold following their wedding, and she had to be close to eighty pounds heavier now than she was then. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she watched Loke's face for any sign of pain as he stood.

"So, Natsu's or the guild?" Loke asked.

"Set me down." Cindy frowned and put every ounce of irritated mama tone she could muster into her voice. "I just need a couple minutes, and I'll be fine."

"Do I look like this is hurting me?" Loke's lips were pulled into a thin, irritated line, and he raised one eyebrow in query.

The question surprised Cindy into reconsidering. She couldn't see any sign of pain in his expression, and the hold he had on her was steady. His posture was a bit straighter than usual, but he wasn't having to arch back to balance her weight like Lee had.

Now that she thought about it, although Loke looked about as slender as Lee, he was several inches taller than her husband. She'd stood a good inch taller than Lee since she hit one last, late growth spurt in her early twenties, making her just a bit bigger than her husband even before she'd started gaining. But all the men here aside from Makarov seemed to tower over her, Loke included. She had to conclude he had to be a bit bigger than she'd thought, like Lee's grandfather. The man was six foot one, but he looked thin as a rail. Because of that, she'd fretted the shirts he'd handed down to Lee once would be far too small, but they turned out to be so big, he looked like a kid playing dress up in his dad's clothes.

Feeling her face heat up again with a blush at being chided like a child, Cindy shook her head.

"Then hush and let me help," Loke ordered and set off in the direction of the hut. "It's my fault you overdid it, after all."

"What about my sweater?" she asked, craning her neck to look over his shoulder where it still lay across the boulder.

"You can pick it up when you come back by," Loke said as he left the clearing and turned onto the path.

Cindy scowled up at the stubborn teen. "And if some critter snatches it for nesting material?"

Loke huffed and rolled his eyes. "Then I'll replace it with one that's not six sizes too big."

* * *

The rest of the trek back to Natsu's hut passed in awkward silence. Well, after Loke had snapped at her to shush once again after Cindy'd spent another couple minutes nagging him to put her down. His voice had dropped a couple steps and taken on an authoritative tone that had her jaw clicking shut of its own accord, and wasn't that just embarrassing?

So she'd sniffed and turned her face away from Loke, keeping her eyes locked on the path ahead. Let him think she'd gotten offended enough to give him the silent treatment.

Cindy hadn't noticed just how late it was until they'd been walking in silence for a while. Enough of the morning had passed that the early risers had ceased singing and gone off foraging. Natsu had gotten in earlier than usual the night before and collapsed in his hammock without a word, but he still wasn't up when she'd left. She rather hoped he wasn't home now. Knowing him, he'd jump to conclusions and pitch a fit if he caught sight of Loke having to carry her home like this.

"What's the matter?"

Cindy startled at the sound of Loke's voice after so long in the quiet, and his grip on her tightened. She felt her brow furrow as she looked back up at him.

"You're twisting the hell out of my jacket collar, and you're going to split your lip if you gnaw on it any harder," Loke said. "Something's eating at you, so spit it out."

"I was just hoping Natsu wasn't home," she answered. "You know how protective he is. If he sees you carrying me like a sack of flour…"

"Loke!" Natsu's voice bellowed from the hut's door. A halo of flames flickering around his fists, he came running toward them, Happy gliding right behind. "What'd you do to Aunt Cindy?"

"I just pushed it too hard training, Natsu," she piped up. "Loke has stuff to do this morning, and he refused to let me just wait it out alone."

"Oh, well thanks then, I guess," Natsu stammered as he came to a stop at the gate and let the flames gutter out. He held his arms out toward Loke. "I can take her from here though."

Cindy rolled her eyes heavenward, silently praying for patience and groaned. "You know, I'm sure I could walk the last little bit if one of you would just help me keep steady." She poked Loke in the ribs, making him jump. "As I've been saying from the start."

"Maybe that's true, but it doesn't change the fact it would have taken twice as long. And you wouldn't be anywhere near as recovered," Loke argued back.

Ignoring Natsu's still outstretched arms, Loke stepped around the other wizard and continued down the path. Natsu's protests echoed behind them, but both were too busy squabbling by then to really notice them.

"That's not the point!"

"Yes it is, you stubborn woman!" Loke snapped. "You're just too proud to admit when you need help."

He had a point. How annoying!

"Fine," she sighed. "I give, but remember this." Cindy sniffed and comported herself with as much dignity as she could muster while being carried around like a child. "If you ever wear yourself down to the point of not being able to walk, I won't hesitate to put you in a fireman's carry and haul your gangly butt back to base."

Loke laughed as he shouldered the door the rest of the way open from where it hung partly closed. "I'll hold you to it."

He shifted and sat her down on the couch in the cottage's main room. "Now rest up, and I'll see you back at the guild later."

Cindy nodded and, still too embarrassed by her neediness to meet the teen's eyes, studied the old burn patterns in the rug. She felt a minuscule pulse of amusement from Loke before he turned. Overwhelmed with the need to set things right, Cindy's hand shot out and latched onto his left wrist. Loke stopped and looked back at her as she finally lifted her gaze from the ruined carpet.

"Thank you," she said. "For making sure I got home safe."

"It's what friends do."

The smile he gave her was slight but genuine, and she released his wrist, returning the smile with one of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know most put octaves when talking about someone's voice rising or dropping, but even a really broad vocal range can only cover about two and a half octaves. Even with falsetto, the most you can really hope for is maybe three octaves with any sort of strength. Scales are built using a pattern of what's called half steps and whole steps with a half step being the distance between one note and the next one on the chromatic scale. So A-Bb or C#-D. A whole step, or step, is comprised of two half steps. So D-E or Ab-Bb. A couple of steps would be the same a a third, or the "typical" difference between one singing part and the next in a piece of music.


	27. Shift Part 2

Natsu and Happy entered as Loke left. Natsu stared after the retreating ring mage, irritation and worry radiating off of him. Happy, on the other hand, scampered into the hut, jumped onto the back of the couch, and perched just over Cindy's left shoulder.

"You need a bath," Happy said as he waved a paw in front of his nose.

Rolling her eyes, Cindy answered, "Yeah that's what happens when someone trains for," she trailed off as she looked at the clock. Shock at the time sent her eyebrows racing for her hairline. "Three hours!" She shook her head. "No wonder I'm so exhausted."

"Did you really just overdo it?" Natsu asked. He'd finally shut the door, and now he stood hovering over her with arms crossed.

Cindy arched one brow and narrowed her eyes at the obvious attempt to intimidate answers out of her. "I just said we were training for three hours straight," she groused. "As it turns out, today was not only the longest sparring session we've ever had, but the first where we incorporated magic. So yeah, I over did it." Cindy sighed. "You might have noticed, I'm not exactly a magical powerhouse. It doesn't take much."

"You've gotta stop doing that." Natsu's expression crumbled from stern to worried, and there was a wobble to his voice she'd never heard before. He dropped his arms down to his sides and slid onto the couch. "You're really going to hurt yourself if you don't."

"I have to get stronger somehow if I'm ever going to get home," Cindy answered. The shift in the teen's manner tugged at her heart and shifted her into mom/big sister mode in a fraction of a second. "But I'll be more careful."

Natsu nodded. Happy butted his forehead against the side of Cindy's head, startling her as she'd forgotten he was sitting on the back of the couch. He rubbed his cheek against hers a couple of times in that way felines have before jumping down and scurrying off somewhere in the back of the hut. She was more than a little confused by the whole episode, unsure how to translate the feline gesture into anything she could understand.

"Aunt Cindy?"

The quiet question pulled Cindy's attention back toward her adopted nephew. Curled in on himself as he was now and wearing the same pensive, uncertain expression he'd worn off and on since the Valehaven job, he appeared much smaller than usual. She nodded, urging him to speak and praying he would finally talk to her about what was bothering him so.

"I know you're trying to find some way to get back home," he said. "I want you to have your family back and be happy, but..." Natsu trailed off. He swallowed hard a couple of times and fidgeted for a second before curling his hands into fists. "But I don't want you to leave!"

Natsu's voice cracked. His eyes brimmed, but he squared his jaw and seemed to hold the threatening tears back through sheer will.

"Me and Happy love having you here with us," he barreled on. "We're family, and family should stay together!" Natsu's chin wobbled, and he rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes.

"That's why I wanted you to go on jobs with us so bad," he explained. "But I know what it's like to grow up missing your parent, and I don't want to be part of the reason Riley and Sarah'd ever feel that way. And I know how much you miss them and Lee, and I don't ever want to be the reason my family's hurting."

Cindy reached out and covered one of Natsu's hands with her own. She squeezed his hand.

"You're not," she assured him. "What's gotten you thinking you are?"

"I keep forgetting about them!" Natsu's eyes widened, and he clapped his free hand over his mouth right after he said it.

"You've never met them, Natsu," she said. "It's no surprise they wouldn't stick in your memory, and it's only natural you want to keep those close to you around. It's human nature."

"That doesn't make it any less selfish of me," Natsu said, lowering his hand back to his lap. "That's why I want to help."

Tugging his other hand out of her grasp, the teen pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. He handed it to her, and Cindy saw one of the job requests from the guild's board. It was a request for help locating a lost artifact in Dahlia.

"I know Loke suggested you look in Crocus' library, but the capitol's a real expensive place to visit. And we almost never get requests for that far out," Natsu explained. "I'm no good with research, but no job's been too hard for Happy and me. I figure you can research all you need, and Happy and I will work enough to save up enough to get you there."

He gestured to the request. "Dahlia's a lot older and bigger than Magnolia, so I figure their library's probably bigger too. This job'll give you an excuse to go and pay you for it." Natsu tilted his head. "You know Levy?"

"Tiny thing, super smart, blue hair, and good with languages?"

Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. She helped me figure out your written language when I first got here," Cindy said.

"Well, I was thinking maybe you should ask her team to go with you," Natsu said. "Job's like that are what Levy does, and she could help if you come across books in some weird language or something."

Cindy gave Natsu a fond smile and pulled him into a hug. She felt the tension in his shoulders ease after a couple of seconds, and a moment later, he wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace. It soon became a bit too tight verging on slightly painful, but not wanting to send him retreating again, Cindy didn't comment.

"You're a sweet boy, Natsu," she murmured and pressed a kiss to his temple before pulling back. "Thank you."

All traces of worry and guilt evaporated from his expression, and he favored her with a grin. "Hey Aunt Cindy?" he asked as he kicked off his sandals and pulled his legs up onto the couch.

"Yes?"

"Since you're stuck on the couch resting for a bit, do you think you could sing something?"

Cindy laughed. "Ears like a hound, and you're the only one who actually wants to hear me sing."

Natsu shrugged. "Something about it makes me feel," he trailed off thinking. "I don't know. Extra comfortable and good like I just got home after a really long job."

An understanding smile tugged at Cindy's lips as her mind went back to the habit of singing when she felt homesick. It gave her the same type of feeling.

"Okay. What should I sing?"

"The Danny song?" Natsu's eyes took on a wide, hopeful look as he waited for her answer.

Chuckling, Cindy nodded. Natsu's grin widened, and he leaned his head against the back of the couch, closing his eyes to listen as she began singing the old Irish ballad she'd used as a lullaby for her girls years before.

* * *

Back at his apartment, Loke shucked his jacket, letting it fall onto the couch without a second glance. He shook his arms as he toed off his shoes and strode across the living area toward his room. The scent of lemongrass and eucalyptus clung to him, and he could still feel the weight of Cynthia in his arms. Curling his hands into fists, he let out an irritated growl and snatched fresh clothes out of his dresser.

"Get a grip, Leo," he grumbled under his breath. "No more. Not again."

Turning the water on as cold as he could get it, Loke stripped and plunged himself under the spray. He could feel the same old cycle that'd earned him a reputation as a womanizer beginning to repeat, and for the first time in his memory, he felt disgusted by it. As long as he could remember, when one relationship ended, he'd begin to fixate on the next interesting female he came across, spirit or human. Normally that was fine, but he hadn't figured on befriending a married woman.

Cynthia was completely out of bounds, and even if she wasn't, Loke refused to fall into old habits again. He'd cost Charissa most of a year with his selfishness, and he was bound to break Emmy, Tsubaki, and Mei's hearts sooner or later. He was dying for Regulus sake! He'd take no more lovers only to hurt them when he faded into nothing months, weeks, or days from now.

He scrubbed until his skin stung, and by the time he got out of the shower, he'd taken on a distinct bluish tinge from the cold. As he redressed, Loke considered his options. Quitting the guild and becoming a hermit as he waited for death seemed a bit drastic and wasteful. He wouldn't put tracking him down past Cynthia, Natsu, Gray, and Erza anyway, and that was one beat down and lecture he didn't want to endure. Maybe start with a solo job. He hadn't gone on one of those in a while.

Fully dressed, Loke went back into his living room and grabbed his coat off the couch. Something fell out of it and hit the floor with a clattering thump. He took a step back while he shrugged on the jacket and groaned as he recognized the object.

Cynthia's purse lay at his feet with half its contents scattered across the carpet. He'd forgotten to give it back to her before leaving earlier.

Crouching down, Loke picked up the bag and began gathering its contents back into it. After a moment or two, only her wallet remained. It was the same one she'd opened to show him images of her family on the way to Akane several weeks before. He flipped the wallet open without thinking about it, turning to the slim grouping of pictures. The smiling faces of Cynthia's family looked back at him. Loke thought he saw accusation and pleading in their eyes, but a part of his mind sneered that was his conscience playing tricks.

He turned the last page to find several cards housed in pockets sewn into the lining. His brow creased as he noticed the first, protected in a clear pocket of its own. It had a tiny picture of Cynthia to one side, and the rest contained information about her. Some of it made no sense to him at all, but some did.

Loke grinned as he read her full name, Cynthia Dawn Tucker Williams, and he wondered if everyone in Terra had four names. Skipping over hair and eye color, weight, and height, his attention settled on her date of birth, which read June 15, 1981. The year didn't mean anything to him, but it was June 7 now. According to the little card, her birthday was just over a week away.

An idea sparked in Loke's mind, and it smoked out the urge to add to his pride as it caught fire.

* * *

To say Natsu was surprised to hear a knock at his door would have been an understatement. Aside from Loke literally carrying Aunt Cindy home this morning, no one who didn't live there stopped by, well ever. So he went to answer it with wary curiosity.

He had to fight a disappointed frown when he saw Loke waiting on the other side.

"Is Cynthia home?" Loke asked. He held out a black bag Natsu recognized as Cindy's. "I didn't realize I'd forgotten to return this until I got home.

"She's in the bath." Natsu wasn't sure what Loke's tone and the flicker of emotion in his eyes meant, and smell wasn't ever any help with the playboy. He held out a hand for the purse, and Loke handed it over. "I'll just put this back in her room."

"Thanks," Loke said.

Natsu nodded and stepped back to close the door, but Loke stepped forward, making it so Natsu couldn't shut his own door without smacking Loke in the face.

"Hey," the other wizard started at a whisper, "did you know Cynthia's birthday was coming up in a few days?"

"It is?" Surprise and anticipation washed away the growing irritation he'd been feeling toward the ring mage. Fairy Tail threw the best parties, and Gramps made a point of celebrating the birthdays of all members unless they were one of those weird people who hated them. Another thought hit him a moment later, and he narrowed his eyes. "How'd you know?"

Loke's face flushed, and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "I only noticed her bag when it fell out of my jacket earlier, and everything kinda spilled out," he explained. "I found a card in her wallet that has her birthday on it while I was putting everything back in."

Accepting that explanation, Natsu nodded. "Huh," he said mostly to himself. "What day is it?"

"The fifteenth," Loke answered. "Hey, if you didn't know when it was, I'd bet no one else in the guild does."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Natsu frowned. "Maybe I oughta tell 'em."

Loke grinned. "I was thinking something similar," he said. "You think she'd like a surprise party?"

Natsu's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "Oh yeah!" he agreed with a chuckle.

"We'd need to get her away from Magnolia for a while, so we can get it set up."

"No problem." Natsu waved the concern away. "She's taking a job in Dahlia."

"Alone?"

Natsu shook his head. "She's gonna ask Shadow Gear to go with her," he said. "It's something Levy won't be able to turn down."

Loke nodded, and Natsu motioned with the bag in his hand.

"Be right back."

Dashing into the house, Natsu paused to make sure he could still hear Cindy in the bath before going into her room and laying the bag on the end of her bed.

"Hey Aunt Cindy," he called as he walked back into the main living area. "Happy and me are gonna head to the guild."

"Okay," she answered from the other side of the bathroom door. "I'll see you there later."

Task done, Natsu chuckled to himself as he scampered out of the hut with Happy following behind. He shut the door behind them, and the three set off back down the path to town discussing ideas for the party as they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Loke didn't seem too out-of-character here. He's always struck me as someone with a fear of being alone, so I figured he'd be one to rebound and rebound hard anytime a relationship he was in fell apart. And with the way he oscillates between being a friend and hitting on Lucy, he seems to either have difficulty distinguishing between different aspects of love, specifically deep friendship and something more romantic, or he just really enjoys messing with her. Honestly, it's probably just him messing with Lucy's head because he thinks it's funny, but confusion makes for better inner conflict and potential for character development. So I'm going with that.


	28. Time to Party! Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The magical tech described in this chapter was inspired by something similar in another Fairy Tail fic I read a LONG time ago, and I can't remember which one it was for the life of me. I know in that story Lucy received a book with the same ability, minus the lacrima, but that's all I can really recall. If anyone knows what story I'm talking about, please let me know, so I can give credit where it's due for the idea.
> 
> Also, I created a Spotify playlist of all the songs played at the party to help guide the emotional flow of it while I was writing, and I thought I'd share it. It's "Crossing Realities Birthday Mix" by Deradella, if you want to give it a listen while reading. Just fair warning, some of the songs have bits of strong language in them and the occasional suggestive theme. And, the the timing of reading won't match up quite right with the music. I mean it is about an hour and a half worth of music after all. Now on with the story.

Cindy had seen some impressive libraries. The one back home in Huntsville resembled a modern castle with it's imposing brick walls and gabled roofing that gave it the impression of having turrets. And inside lay three stories lined with row upon row of books, comics, manga, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. Dahlia's library was just as large and grand as that familiar building back home, but its collection put Huntsville's to shame. There were no conference rooms for rent or large open spaces here. Every inch of space was purposed either with shelving or desks with narrow aisles for its librarians and patrons to move about.

It didn't take Cindy long to realize Levy McGarden had certainly found the right guild. Like the creatures of legend, the pint sized girl was a force of nature when loosed upon unsuspecting libraries. Galeforce reading glasses in place and with her personal cheer squad at her shoulder, Levy built a virtual fortress of books and set up shop just minutes after they arrived at Dahlia's library.

Cindy spent the next few hours fetching and returning books and placating the librarians, angered by Jet and Droy's cheers, whispered or not. She'd stumbled across books that looked promising for her own research a time or two while looking for Levy, so she'd plucked them from the shelf and started a small stack of her own as the day wore on.

As per what she'd come to see as usual procedure, they'd visited the client immediately upon arriving in Dahlia. He was an archaeologist in search of an ancient city rumored to have existed somewhere in the vicinity. While digging out a set of ruins several weeks before, he found a scroll that spoke of a powerful relic used to protect the city from invasion. He was convinced the device had been activated, which is why none had been able to find a trace of the town outside of literature, but he hadn't been able to follow the clues laid out in the scroll. Suspecting a magical component to the text, he'd placed a request for wizarding help.

It'd taken approximately five seconds for Levy to confirm the writing was spelled to prevent anyone but a wizard deciphering it, which earned them the client's full confidence. Cindy'd figured out Levy was a linguistic genius in the first few weeks she'd been in Earthland. The script mage had taken a sample of her writing and compared it to different alphabets and grammatical structures present in Earthland and figured out the similarities and differences within three days. She'd taught Cindy to understand the main alphabet used in Fiore with a speed that'd amazed her.

Yet watching the girl decode this puzzle floored her. As she worked, Levy mumbled to herself. The window into her mind's inner workings made the experience akin to watching a master artist at work.

The script mage had cracked the code and tracked down where she believed the artifact lay by late that evening. Team Shadow Gear left to get dinner and some sleep shortly thereafter, and Cindy broke ways with them. She checked out the five books she'd found and tracked down the nearest magic shop. After seeing how useful Levy's galeforce specs were, Cindy decided it was worth the investment to purchase a pair of her own.

Of course, Levy pounced on her the moment she saw Cindy brought in a bunch of books later that night.

"Why are you researching magical bloodlines?" Levy asked, idly flipping through the first book on the stack.

"So far, tracking down a celestial wizard seems like my best bet for a place to start figuring out a way home," Cindy answered. "It's not a popular field anymore, so it hasn't been easy. Loke suggested finding a family line linked to celestial magic."

"Do you really believe that'll be enough?" Levy asked. She winced. "The Magic Council has whole teams dedicated to magical research, and even after centuries, the only other reality they've been able to reach is the celestial world."

Cindy sighed and sunk onto one of the two beds in the girls' hotel room. "I know. The papers they've published and accounts of the celestial world are all I've had to go on so far." Opening her suitcase, Cindy dug out the notebook where she kept all her research notes and flipped through, looking for a blank page.

"I know it's arrogant to think I stand any sort of chance succeeding where those so much more qualified have failed," she conceded, "but I have to try." Finding a clear page, Cindy rummaged around until she found her pen. Shaking her head, she let out a self-deprecating laugh. "If I've learned anything though, it's that creatives have a way of stumbling upon truths it takes serious professionals years or even decades to prove."

Levy closed the book she'd been flipping through and set it aside. She sat on the end of her own bed and arranged the robe she was wearing. "What do you mean?"

"Magic doesn't exist back home. Terra is ruled by scientific principles instead," Cindy explained. At Levy's understanding nod, she continued. "There's an entire genre of fiction dedicated to looking at the discoveries of science and postulating future discoveries and inventions and how they might affect society. The creators behind those stories get things right as often as they don't, and in many cases, their stories have sparked invention."

"A different way of looking at things leading to new ideas," Levy said with an agreeable nod. She smirked. "Of course, this whole conversation kind of implies you're a creative." Levy leaned back, propping herself up on her arms, and tilting her head to the side as she considered Cindy. "I've always gotten the impression you were more of a management type."

That startled a snorting laugh out of Cindy. "That's just being a type-A control freak in need of keeping food on the table and clothes on my back," she said. "Most creatives have to have some kind of day job to support the habit. Managing an office just so happened to be my preferred method of paying the bills."

Two blue eyebrows arched in interested surprise. "Oh?" she asked, sitting back up and leaning a bit toward Cindy. "What kind of habit do you have?"

"Fiber arts and writing," Cindy answered. "I was one of the creatives working in the science fiction genre."

A light flared in Levy's eyes. "You're a writer?"

Cindy had a distinct sinking feeling, like she'd just fallen into a trap. She felt heat suffuse her cheeks and travel up to her ears. "Well, I was anyway," she stammered out with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I've been too busy earning my keep and looking for a way home to work on anything for months now."

"But you've written books in the past, right?"

"Well, yeah," Cindy said. "I'd just published my fifth a few months before getting stuck here."

Levy's eyes went positively stary at the admission. Cindy was hit by a wave of excitement from the girl, and that sinking feeling came back three times worse. Levy turned the book she'd been looking at earlier over in her hands, considering the weathered spine.

"If I stay behind after we finish the job here and help you search, will you let me read them?" Levy asked.

"Read?" Cindy squeaked. "I didn't have copies with me, and I'd have start over from scratch more or less! It'd take years just to recreate them."

Levy giggled. Cindy frowned at her, embarrassment at being fooled making her blush even harder. Catching sight of her expression, Levy began laughing harder. Cindy bit her tongue against the sarcastic retort that wanted to escape, afraid it'd only push the teen to up the ante even more so to speak.

"I'm sorry, Cindy," Levy said between giggles as she began to get herself back under control. "I thought for sure you would have heard about memory lacrima by now."

"Memory lacrima?"

Levy nodded. "Storage devices designed to transfer memories to some kind of container," she explained. "They were designed to let people recover keepsakes after a disaster. The mind stores information more completely than we can retrieve it as memories. It's amazing what memory lacrima can recover!"

"Like whole books?" Cindy blinked in a way she knew must look owlish, and judging by the repressed mirth in Levy's expression, it was. "Even when their author can't hope to remember every word as it was originally written?"

"Books, images, music…" Levy agreed. "Just about anything." The script mage straightened up and tucked her legs under her body. "So do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Cindy agreed with a nod.

* * *

Loke turned as Jet came running into the guild late in the afternoon on June 15. His confirmation Levy and Cynthia's train had arrived and the girls were on their way sent everyone present hurrying to finish the last bits of setting up and back to their "places." Loke double checked the couple presents everyone had gone in on were wrapped and hidden, asked after the food, and then he made his way over to the table where his girls were waiting.

"You ladies sure you want to hang around?" he asked as he sat down. "None of you even really know Cynthia."

"She's a friend of yours," Emmy answered. "I don't know about the other girls, but I kind of want to meet her."

Mei and Tsubaki nodded in agreement.

"And Fairy Tail throws good parties," Mei added with a shrug.

Loke chuckled. "You three," he said with a fond shake of his head and pulled them into as much of a group hug as he could manage at the table.

Across the room, Natsu and Happy scampered out of the kitchens and took up places in front of the bar. Cana finished off her pre-party keg and stashed the empty barrel. Mirajane had roped Erza and Gray into helping, and the three served everyone drinks before the guest of honor arrived.

Loke looked over Tsubaki's shoulder, peering out the nearest window. He could just make out Levy and Cynthia rounding the corner. He gave the two minute warning before dropping back into conversation with his girls.

A few moments later, the guild doors swung open, and Cynthia came in followed by Levy, both hauling bags with them. Both girls looked tired and a bit down as they shrugged off their burdens and stowed them under the coat rack almost no one used. Loke had a the first inkling maybe planning the party for just after she got back from a week long job wasn't the brightest idea, but Natsu was already jumping up onto the bar.

"Hey Aunt Cindy!" Natsu bellowed from across the guild.

" _Well, too late now_ ," Loke thought to himself as Cynthia jumped and gawked at Natsu with wide eyes. He triggered the mechanism set to cut the ties holding the decorations as Natsu threw his arms wide and said his next line.

"Happy birthday!"

Banners and streamers fluttered into place, and the rest of the guild joined in cheering and wishing Cynthia a happy birthday. Looking back at his friend, Loke found her gone pale with her arms hanging limp at her sides. Although broadly built, Cynthia wasn't an overly tall woman who stood several inches shorter than her teenage nephew. But she'd curled in on herself as everyone's attention turned to her. She still dwarfed the diminutive script mage standing to her side, but it was obvious Cynthia was trying to make herself less of a target.

" _Shit_!" Loke cursed in his head. " _Damage control_."

Perhaps sensing her guildmate's distress, Levy grabbed Cynthia's hand and pulled her toward the bar. The movement seemed to startle Cynthia out of her daze, and her color began to normalize as she stumbled after Levy. As Natsu leapt off the bar, Loke got up from the table and held out his arms for the girls. Emmy and Tsubaki stood as well, but Mei waved him off saying she'd prefer to watch from afar instead of crowding around the bar with everyone else. Nodding, Loke wrapped an arm around each of his girlfriends, and they went to join the rest of the guild.

Mirajane was just bringing out a cake adorned with candles as they squeezed through the crowd. Cynthia's shoulders were still curled forward, but the shocked pallor was gone. In its place a flush stained her cheeks and spread down her neck as everyone urged her to make a wish. Clenching her jaw, Cynthia closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Relaxing just enough to do so, she let it out, managing to blow out the considerable number of candles in one go.

More cheers and light applause rang out. Erza slid the cake to the side and began cutting it, and Mira asked Cynthia what she wanted to drink.

"You have any more of that honey whiskey?" she asked.

Clear surprise registered on Mira's face, but she nodded and went to fill the order without comment. Now Loke knew this was definitely a bad idea. He'd never seen the woman drink anything harder than coffee. Worry began tying a knot in his stomach.

Natsu slipped back behind the bar and produced a couple wrapped boxes. Setting them on the smooth surface, he gave Cynthia the manic grin he was known for wearing.

"Everybody got together to get you a little somethin," he said.

Cynthia's brow knit, and she glanced around at the waiting crowd. The surprise still registering in her expression pulled on Loke's heart, and he tightened his grip on the girls' waists. A forced looking smile overtook Cynthia's expression as she reached for the first present. She tore the paper and opened the box to find a picture album, and her brow furrowed again as she opened it to find empty pages.

"Oh," Levy exclaimed, peering over Cynthia's shoulder. She pulled the album from Cynthia's grasp and flipped it to show a compartment in the spine. "It uses one of those memory lacrima I told you about to fill the pages." Levy opened the compartment, took out the blank lacrima, and pressed it into Cynthia's hand.

"How do I use it?"

"Hold it tight," Mira jumped in to explain as she set a tumbler with two fingers of whiskey in front of Cynthia. "Close your eyes, and say record. It'll search through your memory and find images with an emotional attachment for you, record them, and display them in the book when it's installed."

Nodding, Cynthia squeezed the lacrima in her hand and did like she was told. The crystal flared with a bright, blue glow that shined between the gaps in her fingers. The process took several minutes, but eventually the glow faded. Mira tapped Cynthia's hand and told her she could open her eyes and let go of the lacrima.

Cynthia blinked several times and shook her head as she released the now full crystal. "I saw flashes. Little bits of memories flying by for what felt like years."

Mira laughed. "I know," she said, taking the lacrima from Cynthia and installing it in the album. "That's why I told you to close your eyes. It's not necessary for the spell to work, but it makes the process less disorienting."

"Thanks," Cynthia said with a genuine smile for the barmaid. She lifted the tumbler of whiskey and took a long sip. "It felt like that thing took way too many images for the album to hold."

"They usually do," Levy said. "The album will rotate the images every time it's opened."

Mira closed the lacrima compartment on the album and held the book out to Cynthia. "There you go."

Taking the book with trembling hands, Cynthia set it down in front of her and opened it. The interior was filled with crisp, full color images. Loke recognized Lee easily despite the addition of glasses, enough weight to make him look a little healthier, and hair that was perhaps a bit thinner than it was in the newest picture Cynthia had shown him. In one, she stood beside him, and Loke gained an inkling of why she'd been so worried when he lifted her up the week before. She was a bit taller and just as broad shouldered as Lee, so she had to weigh a good deal more than the slight man she'd married.

He figured the two young girls standing with them in the picture had to be Riley and Sarah, but they were significantly older than they were in any of the pictures in Cynthia's wallet. Riley stood as tall as Lee's shoulders even though it was evident she hadn't quite reached puberty yet. Her chin length hair was the same light brown as Lee's, and she had Cynthia's hazel eyes. Sarah was several inches shorter than her sister, reaching only about as high as Cynthia's elbow, and she had a pretty, cherubic face with a grin that screamed mischief. Her hair was cut a bit longer than Riley's. It was the same dark brown as her mother's, and somewhere along the line, her eyes had darkened from her father's blue to a stormy gray.

Cynthia stroked the pictures with reverent fingers. From where he stood, Loke could see tears beginning to gather in her eyes as she looked over the images. Some were formal like the one he'd been perusing, which looked like memories of posed pictures she'd seen. Others were more candid and obviously seen from Cynthia's perspective. Lee kneeling beside an upset Sarah and putting some sort of bandage on her elbow. Riley curled up on her bed reading. Both girls hugging a woman who looked like an older version of Cynthia and a man with oversized glasses and a reddish mustache that clashed with his salt and pepper hair.

Wondering at the quiet, Loke looked away from Cynthia to see their friends watching her with a mix of emotions written on their faces. On down the bar, Master Makarov sat cross legged on the counter, watching them all with a quiet smile. The old man looked up. His smile grew a smidge as his gaze met Loke's, and he mouthed, "You did good."

"Come on," Natsu urged, drawing Loke's attention back to the group he was standing beside. "You still have another present."

Cynthia shook herself and dashed the gathering tears from her eyes to meet Natsu's grin with a watery smile of her own. "Right. Sorry," she said and accepted the gift. After taking another long sip of her whiskey, Cynthia tore into the package to find another item that confused her judging by the consternation in her expression.

"It's a music player," Natsu explained with his usual enthusiasm. "It works just like the picture book, so you can hear all those songs you love so much again!"

Cynthia giggled. "You mean you can hear them without having to listen to me screech," she said.

"Hey, I like your singing," Natsu pouted.

"That makes one of us," Happy mumbled from his perch on the counter, earning him a glare from Natsu and a chuckle from Cynthia.

Cynthia turned the player around, looking for the compartment that housed the lacrima. Finding it, she popped it open and tipped the device to make the crystal fall into her hand.

"So is this one activated the same way?" she asked. Receiving an affirmative nod from those around her, Cynthia once again squeezed the lacrima, closed her eyes, and said, "Record."

This time a yellow glow surrounded the lacrima and leaked out between her fingers as the crystal did its job. When it dulled a few moments later, Cynthia opened her eyes and put the lacrima back into the player. Impatient, Natsu punched the power button as soon as she finished securing the compartment again. The player's display filled with the names of songs Loke'd never heard of before, but recognition was clear in Cynthia's eyes as she scrolled through the list.

"It's every song I've ever put into a playlist or just really loved!" she exclaimed, awe clear in her tone. Lifting her gaze from the items in front of her, Cynthia looked around the crowd. "I don't know how to thank all of you."

"You're quite welcome, child," Makarov said. "But I have to admit, the party was all Natsu, Happy, and Loke's idea."

"Yeah, no one knew when your birthday was," Mira admitted with a tittering giggle.

Cynthia turned to Natsu and Happy, pulling them into a hug with a murmured, "My boys!"

Happy protested about her squishing him and wriggled out of Cynthia's grasp before flying off into the rafters. Natsu returned the hug and whispered something to her even Loke couldn't make out. Cynthia squeezed him tighter in response, whispering something back before giving the dragon slayer a kiss on the cheek. Releasing Natsu, Cynthia gave him another smile and turned toward Loke.

Emmy and Tsubaki pulled away from Loke's grasp as Cynthia came over. Without them by his side, he felt at a loss for what to do with his hands, so he shoved them in his pockets and slouched into the careless posture he'd developed after Karen's death.

"Natsu said the album and music player were your idea," she murmured.

Loke felt the tips of his ears burn, and he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes while they were still a bit watery. "Yeah well," he waffled. "I knew you got homesick, so I thought maybe they'd help."

Cynthia's chin wobbled a split second before she surged forward, lifting herself onto her toes to throw her arms around his neck. The hug caught him off guard, and he stumbled forward. He returned the embrace, hunching a bit and steadying Cynthia as she clung to him.

"Thank you," she whispered, and her voice cracked even then. He held her a little tighter, willing the air of melancholy he felt around her to fade, and she returned the gesture in kind. "Thank you. Having pictures and music from home means more to me than I can say."

"Anything that makes my friends happy, makes me happy," Loke whispered back. "Happy birthday, Cynthia."

Even though he'd seen her do the same to Natsu not two minutes before, the feeling of Cynthia pressing a kiss to his cheek startled Loke. She chuckled as she pulled away.

"You're a good friend," she said, voice rising over a drum riff playing over the guild's speakers. She let her arms fall back down to her sides as she stepped back and craned her neck around. "Sounds like they hooked my new music player into an amp."

Natsu bound up to them and grabbed Cynthia's hand. "Sure did!" he confirmed. "Let's dance!"

Pulling her hand free, Cynthia held up a finger to forestall Natsu's protests as she snatched up her whiskey and downed the last of it. Setting the tumbler down with a clank, she allowed her nephew to pull her onto an improvised dance floor with one last smile and a wave in his direction. Loke blinked at the open space wondering when the tables had been moved.

"A bunch of the guys cleared the floor while we were distracted by Cynthia opening her gifts," Emmy said as she handed him an ale.

Accepting the drink and gulping down the first third of it, he once again mused the girl must have some natural knack for telepathy magic. She had an eerie habit of answering unvoiced questions that never failed to spook him just a little.

With the addition of music, the party really got underway. Those in attendance began to split into smaller groups: some drinking, some digging into the array of food now set out along a couple of the tables, and a few were out on the floor dancing to the foreign music. It was an odd mix of guitars and a tambourine with prominent drums and a raspy voiced singer urging the listener to "dance, dance."

"Do you know who any of these people are?" Tsubaki asked. She'd taken a seat at the bar, presumably when Cynthia had hugged him earlier, and she was flipping through the still open album and sipping some kind of cocktail.

The page she was on was filled with what looked like older images. He pointed to one of Lee pushing a chubby baby with a head full of dark ringlets on a swing. Beside them, a toddler laughed as the motion of swinging lifted her pigtails.

"That's her husband and daughters several years ago," he said. "I think the ones at the front are closer to how they look now."

Tsubaki giggled. "I guess so," she said and pointed at the baby. "This little chunker's so skinny now."

Emmy hummed and lifted the pages to get another look at the first picture with Cynthia surrounded by her family. "She's lost a lot of weight since she got stuck here, hasn't she?"

"Cynthia's talked about how different life is here," Loke said. "Her country is so big, everything is very spread out, so they take vehicles to get from one place to another instead of walking, and her job involved sitting at a desk most of the time. So it's to be expected with all the extra walking she's done here and the physical nature of most wizarding work."

"Still seems a little excessive," Emmy pressed, and Tsubaki nodded in agreement.

Loke took another long pull on his ale. "I know," he agreed. "She doesn't eat much and acts ashamed when she does at all."

"Depression?" Emmy asked.

"I don't know," Loke answered with a shrug of one shoulder. "Could be that or homesickness or just insecurities about food and eating because of her weight." He grimaced and finished off his ale. "Some of the things she's said," he trailed off. "I get the impression trying to shame people into losing weight is pretty common, and she'd been trying without success for a long time."

"Probably a bit of all three," Tsubaki mused. Leaving the album open, she turned on her stool and peered up at Loke. "Is that why you wanted to do this for her? To cheer her up?"

"Of course," Loke said. "Who wants their friends to be sad?" He set his empty tankard on the bar and favored both girls with his best smile and held out his hands. "Now, which one of you lovely ladies wants to dance with me?"

Emmy and Tsubaki looked at one another, holding another one of their silent conversations before looking back at him.

"Not that we both don't want to, but Emmy and I've been hogging all your time," said Tsubaki.

"And it looks like Mei's just dying to dance," Emmy agreed with a discreet gesture toward the table they'd been at earlier.

Turning to look, Loke could see they were right. Finished with the glass of wine she'd been nursing earlier, Mei was watching the people dancing with rapt attention. She wiggled in her seat, and her head bobbed to the beat of the music. The sight of the usually uptight woman relaxing a bit made him smile. He looked back at Emmy and Tsubaki.

"You ladies sure?" he asked.

Emmy nodded. "Yeah, I'm starved, and that food table's looking pretty good." She shot a look at the drink in Tsubaki's hand. "I'm sure Tsubaki could use something besides booze on her stomach too. We'll snag you from her later."

"As you wish," Loke said and left the two with a bobbing bow that left them snickering.

The first song ended and another began to play as he strode back across the guild toward Mei. It started with a melody played by something that sounded like a guitar with an almost metallic ring to it, yet the tone sounded almost softer than the song before it. Mei noticed his approach and smiled as she caught his eye. He held a hand out in invitation, and she was quick to take it.

The rest of the band joined in as Loke pulled Mei to him and wrapped an arm around her waist. He caught glimpses of Cynthia attempting to teach Natsu something similar where they still danced a few feet away. The younger wizard seemed to have difficulty with a form of dancing that wasn't flailing about, and Cynthia was having a hard time dancing for cracking up at her nephew's antics.

"For someone who looked scared half to death a few minutes ago, she sure seems happy now," Mei said, pulling Loke's full attention back to her.

"Having a bit of home can do that," Loke said.

Mei smiled. "True," she agreed. "As rowdy as Fairy Tail can be, you all certainly know how to take care of one another."

Chuckling, Loke agreed. "You know, I think this song suits you."

"I might be sweet, but I'm no child," Mei shot back with a smirk.

"No, but you are a love of mine."

Mei giggled, and Loke spun her around before they settled back into a close hold again. They danced out the rest of the song in comfortable silence. The next was another that lent itself to jumping around and flailing more than any sort of traditional dance. Loke didn't quite know what to do, but he tried to follow along with what everyone else was doing. Mei picked it up without a problem, and he felt uncoordinated in comparison. The last time he'd had an occasion to dance, he was still under Layla's employ before she'd met Jude.

Tsubaki asked to trade off with Mei as the next song began to play. Agreeing, Mei twirled off and pulled Gray away from the sidelines to dance with her. With it being another slower song, Loke felt more at ease as he and Tsubaki began a simple two step.

"I like Terran music," Tsubaki enthused as they swayed to the sound of sitars mixed with the metallic sounding guitars.

"It is interesting," Loke said.

Tsubaki nodded. "I wouldn't have guessed she liked music like this from what I've seen and heard from her so far," she said, glancing to where Cynthia now danced with Elfman after Mira glomped onto Natsu. "But it seems to suit her."

"People are complicated creatures," Loke said. "You can know them for years and still not really know them."

"Listen to you getting all philosophical," Tsubaki teased. "Have you been drinking?"

"Just an ale." Loke scoffed. "Seems like everyone else has been hitting the bar pretty hard though."

"Nah," Tsubaki disagreed. "You know Emmy won't touch booze." She peered over his shoulder as the song that'd been playing drew to an end. "Speaking of, it's her turn for a dance," Tsubaki said with a grin and stepped back.

It was another one of those songs where proper dances were thrown out the window. Emmy, ever the proficient reader of people, took mercy on him and more or less guided him through the movements enough to keep from embarrassing himself. The song fit Fairy Tail perfectly, and it resonated with the members so well, everyone was on the floor dancing by the end of the song.

Having taken a turn dancing with all of his girlfriends, Loke encouraged them to continue if they liked while he went for a drink of water and a breather. Shrugging, Emmy and Tsubaki joined hands and twirled to the upbeat strains of the next song to play while Mei decided to join him. On their way over to the bar, Loke saw Gray swing Cynthia into a jerky polka, and judging by the glare Natsu was sending him, he'd done it just to piss the other mage off. But though flushed and a tad winded, Cynthia was laughing as the thankfully still dressed ice wizard spun her around the floor.

After getting their drinks, Loke and Mei sat down at one of the tables and watched the others dance. When the polka about an ordinary day ended, Cynthia was breathing hard as she thanked Gray for the dance. Just as it looked like she was going to take a break, another song came on with a fiddle backed by drums. Bisca squealed and pulled her back onto the floor before sweeping by and pulling Alzack into a dance only the three of them seemed to know. Loke watched in fascination as the three managed to trade off partners between the three of them, sweeping and stepping in time together without any obvious means of communication.

The song itself was a strange one if you listened to the lyrics as it told the story of a music contest between a demon and an overconfident man, but the music was impressive. Joining into a shared dance when it'd started playing was the first interaction he'd witnessed between the three. The pure joy on Cynthia's face made her seem years younger as she, Bisca, and Alzack swung each other and twirled and stomped.

Loke wasn't the only one entranced by the trio. Most of the others stopped at Bisca's squeal and gathered around to watch. When the music stopped with one decisive note, everything was still for a second before applause broke out. The three dancers all blushed and tried to sidle off as the first strains of another upbeat song began to play.

Natsu attempted to get Cynthia to dance with him again, but she shook her head, panting hard enough that she couldn't seem to speak much. He pouted for about a second before getting distracted by the smell of fire chicken being served. Grinning after Natsu as he dashed off to gorge himself, Cynthia went to the bar where her album still laid open to place an order.

"Those two sure know how to make a scene don't they?"

Jerking out of his musing, Loke followed Mei's gaze to find Emmy and Tsubaki still dancing together. The sway of their hips and the way they took turns spinning the other had drawn an audience of their own. The pair was surrounded by a handful of drooling men, but neither girl paid them any attention. When either one glanced away from the other, it was always toward the spot where Loke and Mei sat.

"That they do," he agreed with a grin.

"It's like they don't have a care in the world," Mei sighed. She leaned her chin on her hand and watched the girls with an air of envy.

"Oh, they have their worries and problems, same as anyone," Loke said. "They've just found ways of dealing that work for them." He nudged Mei with his shoulder. "You could do the same, you know."

Mei cleared her throat, sitting up and slipping back into the prim mask she wore so often. "I don't think their coping methods would work for me."

"I never said they would," Loke said with a roll of his eyes. "Their lifestyle isn't for everyone, and for some, trying it might make things worse. But everyone has something they can do to blow off steam. You just need to find yours."

"You offering to help me?" Mei turned her head and batted her eyelashes at him with a smirk.

"Any time."

Returning her smirk with one of his own, Loke leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Not being much of one for public displays, Mei returned the kiss, but pulled back after only a moment.

"Pleasant as your kisses are, my love, I don't think they'll be quite enough," Mei teased.

"More wine then?"

"If you please," she agreed with a nod.

Getting up from their table, Loke acquiesced despite the growing knot in his gut. He didn't think Cynthia was a drinker, but he _knew_ Mei wasn't. Two of his girlfriends were drinking tonight along with virtually all the members of the guild, and he wasn't sure he could handle both Mei and Tsubaki when they were tipsy. Thank Regulus for Emmy's hatred of any sort of intoxication!

The music changed again as he made his way toward the bar, weaving around dancing couples and a swaying Makarov. The shift in tempo and tone was drastic, fast and joyous to moderate and brooding.

Sliding onto a stool beside Cynthia, Loke placed the order for Mei's wine. The girl left to fill the order, leaving Loke and Cynthia sitting alone as everyone partied around them. Turning to his friend, he was concerned to find the guest of honor sipping on another whiskey as she flipped through the album she'd been given.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Startled, Cynthia jumped before glancing his way. "Yeah," she said with a hastily covered cough.

"Really?" Loke pressed. He gestured toward her glass. "Because I haven't seen you touch so much as an ale the entire time you've been here, and I know that's at least your second whiskey tonight."

Scoffing, Cynthia swirled the amber liquid in her glass and took another sip. "Probably not the wisest," she conceded. "For a big woman, I'm a lightweight, but I feel the need every now and again."

"Rough job?"

She shook her head, taking care to swallow her latest sip before answering. "No. Levy figured it out in less than a day, and we had the artifact delivered by the end of the second one, no problem," she said. An irritated scowl formed on her lips, and she glared at her glass. "It was the rest of the week that was a waste."

"Oh."

At a loss for words, Loke watched Cynthia's face as she went back to the album. The pictures showing now featured what looked like more quiet moments between her and her family. The melancholia returned, wrapping itself around her like a blanket. A sad smile developed on her face, and she ran her fingertips over a picture of her daughters when they were little more than toddlers. In it, both girls wore huge smiles. Their hair fanned out around them as they were caught mid twirl.

"Both of them would love this," she murmured with a slight slur to the end of the sentence. "They'd dance for hours!"

"You'll find your way back to them," Loke said.

Cynthia turned to look at him again. "Will I?" Desperation sharpened her voice, and unshed tears glistened in her eyes. "Earthland's best and brightest can't find a way. I can't even find one measly celestial wizard." She squeezed her eyes shut, and those gathering tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Oh, but you have something they don't."

Sniffling, Cynthia knocked back the last of her whiskey. "What's that?" she asked in a voice laced with disillusioned sarcasm.

"The will of a wife and mother to return to her family."

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Fat lot of good that's done me."

She turned the glass, peering at it through narrowed eyes like she could will it to refill before setting it back onto the counter with a thump. Cynthia's shoulders tensed, and she let out a quiet gasp as a new song began. This one's soft guitar introduction sounded tender, almost hesitant.

"What is it?" Loke asked.

"This was our wedding song," she answered, looking back down at an image of Lee dancing while holding a teeny Riley on his hip. "It was one of the few songs he'd dance to."

* * *

Cindy was so focused on the old power ballad, she didn't notice Loke had gotten off his stool until she saw his hand hovering at the periphery of her field of vision. Confused, she followed the arm until she was frowning up at him. Doing so answered none of the questions swirling in her head.

Loke nodded toward the dance floor. "Close your eyes," he said. "Pretend you're dancing with Lee again."

The thought this was stupid flitted through the back of her mind, but the gesture was so sweet, it made her want to cry. Skeptical but not wanting to reject her friend's attempt to make her feel better, Cindy took his hand and let him lead her back onto the dance floor.

Loke pulled her into a waltz. As they settled into position, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "You're a telepathy mage from Fairy Tail," he said. "Just focus, and I know your feelings can reach across realities to touch him."

Choking back another pathetic reaction to how sweet her friends were being tonight, Cindy nodded and obediently closed her eyes as the first verse began. Unfortunately doing so only served to highlight how very tall Loke was compared to her. For a second, she was back in high school, rounding a corner to be nearly run over by Brandon with the illogical fear she'd be stepped on by someone she'd imagined as a giant. Tramping down the memory, Cindy slid her hand from Loke's shoulder down his arm more toward the elbow.

There, that felt right. She could imagine herself dancing with her Lee now. Cindy's mind offered up an image of him, all dressed up for a night out, and she felt herself smile as the strains of their song played around them.

* * *

Natsu clenched his fists, fighting the urge to pull Loke away from Aunt Cindy and break his nose. If he hadn't overheard their conversation a minute ago, he wouldn't be holding himself back.

"Isn't she married?" Gray remarked as he plopped down at the table where Natsu'd been eating a minute before.

"Yeah."

"Then why's she dancing with Loke like that to a song that's obviously a love song?" Gray asked. "I know the guy's got game, but I thought Cindy had better morals than that."

"Watch what you say about her," Natsu threatened through clenched teeth. "It's not that playboy she's really dancing with."

"What the hell you talking about, match dick?"

"I heard 'em talkin," Natsu answered, stomping down the need to hit Gray. "When he heard this was Cindy n' Lee's song, he told her to pretend it was Lee she was dancin' with."

"That why she has her eyes closed?" Gray scratched his head.

Natsu nodded.

"Lee must be short."

Feeling his forehead scrunch up as he did so, Natsu turned to Gray and asked, "Huh?"

Gray gestured to them. "She's got her hand almost on Loke's elbow, and she'd be looking at his throat if her eyes were open," he said. "If she's pretending she's dancing with Lee, she'd be imagining she was looking in his eyes, right?"

Natsu shrugged. "Don't know." He finished off his chicken and chugged the rest of his beer. Finally taking his eyes off his aunt and the pretty boy she was dancing with, Natsu's attention slid to the book she'd gotten earlier, sitting all by itself on the counter.

"You know, I bet there are lots of pictures of him in that album of hers."

* * *

Loke couldn't decide if this latest impulsive decision of his was the best or worst one he'd made in recent years. Working with Natsu and the others to set up tonight's party had successfully squashed any untoward thoughts of his friend, and then he had to go and do this. He hadn't expected the song to be quite as intimate as it was given the nature of the ones that'd played before it. Nor had he expected the visceral pull on his heart holding her to him would cause.

Yet, as he looked down and saw the bittersweet smile on Cynthia's face as she imagined being in her husband's arms instead of his, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Cynthia was his friend, nothing more, and she never would be. Her heart belonged to Lee Williams, as it should. Even now, he could feel the love and longing she had for the man she'd married. In her less than sober state, Cynthia's control over her telepathy slipped, sending the emotions he'd encouraged her to try and send to Lee spilling out over and through those within the guild tonight. That's what he was feeling: the overheard emotions of a tipsy telepath.

* * *

**For those of you who can't or don't want to go to the playlist, here are the songs referenced in this chapter in the order played.**

1\. Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy

2\. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses

3\. It's My Life by Bon Jovi

4\. All Along the Watchtower: Bear McCreary's cover from the Battlestar Galactica 2003 Soundtrack

5\. Raise Your Glass by Pink

6 Ordinary Day by Great Big Sea

7\. Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band

8\. Pump It by The Black Eyed Peas

9\. Protect Me from What I Want by Placebo

10\. Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in the playlist, I had to substitute the Hendrix cover of All Along the Watchtower for Bear McCreary's cover, which is the one I described in the fic. It was the closest one I could find available on Spotify aside from one abomination that combined McCreary's music with the original Dylan recording. Sorry I had to cut the party off here, but the chapter was pushing the 8K word mark with only half the party done. Part two will be up sometime this weekend.
> 
> Also, it was pretty common for Alabama schools to teach a unit on square dancing and/or line dancing in P.E. classes back in the 80s and 90s, and there have been clogging/buck dancing competitions held at the Fiddler's Convention in Athens for decades, which is the closest town to the area I've been writing as Cynthia's home. That's why she knows at least enough to keep up with Bisca and Alzack. And the Huntsville Public Library really does kind of look like a modern castle if you squint your eyes and tilt your head. A former boss of mine used to jokingly refer to it as the Huntsville Fortress of Books.


	29. Chapter 29

Loke brought them to a stop as the last chord died away. Cynthia's eyes fluttered open, and he felt her startle as reality settled back in for her. He loosened his hold, and she pulled away as she lifted her gaze to meet his. She smiled up at him, the light of it reaching her eyes, and he couldn't help but return the gesture.

"I could almost feel him with me," Cynthia said. The awe in her voice blended with the musicbox quality of the next song's intro, giving the moment a dreamlike air. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Loke answered, clearing his throat to cover his voice cracking.

They stood there for a moment, caught in an awkward hold somewhere between normal speaking distance and a waltz frame. Loke found himself unsure whether he should step away or pull her into another dance until he realized Cynthia's eyes had glazed over. She giggled quietly to herself and blinked slowly as if fighting the urge to doze off.

"Looks like you could use some food to soak up some of that whiskey," he said, stepping away but keeping a hand on the middle of her back to guide her toward the tables.

She wobbled as she tried to follow his lead and clutched onto his arm to steady herself. "I think you might be right," she agreed with a laugh.

Loke saw Mei had been joined by Emmy and Tsubaki sometime during their dance, and judging by the half empty glass sitting at her elbow, her wine had been delivered. The three women watched them with expressions ranging from neutral interest to open amusement. It was a relief none seemed bothered. Feeling confident he could leave Cynthia with his girls without incident, he steered her toward their table.

Cynthia looked up at him as he urged her to sit down and said, "Hey, it's your girlfriends," like she was imparting some newfound information.

"Yes, they are," he agreed while fighting back a grin. He looked up to focus on his girls. "Someone's had too much of a liquid diet tonight. I'm going to grab her something to eat and be right back."

"Don't worry," Tsubaki said. "She's in good hands with us."

Nodding, he turned and hurried toward the tables laid out with food, although he kept an ear out for what was going on at their table out of habit.

"Y'all aren't gonna start yellin' at me too, are ya?" Cynthia said. She wasn't quit slurring her words, but her accent began to drift more toward one resembling Bisca and Alzack's in a vague way. "Cause I'm just passin' through, I swear."

"Oh no, don't worry," Emmy assured her. "Someone yelled at you?"

Cynthia hummed an affirmative, and Loke groaned. He'd told the others about his split with Charissa, but he'd left her argument with Cynthia out of the explanation. Grabbing a plate, he began loading it with random foods.

"She thought I was fixin to steal Loke," Cynthia explained. He could almost hear the consternated look on her face when she paused. "They broke up that night."

Again, guilt was clear in her voice as she placed the blame on her shoulders. Loke dropped the last bit of fruit onto the plate and returned the tongs with a bit too much force in his hurry to get back to their table.

"He was so upset," Cynthia said. Her eyes had a far away quality to them. Whether it was due to remembering or being a tad drunk, he didn't know. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes cleared. Glancing around at the three, she exclaimed, "I've been so self-centered, I didn't even think. How's he doing? Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Tsubaki assured her, patting the older woman's hand. "We've been taking good care of him, haven't we?"

Mei and Emmy nodded. Lifting her glass of wine, Mei grumbled, "Good riddance," before drinking.

The corners of Emmy's mouth trembled, but she refrained from comment or overt reaction, for which Loke was grateful. Mei and Charissa had always been civil, but he knew the two had a bit of rivalry between them that'd centered on him. Emmy and Tsubaki were often troubled by Charissa's possessive streak, but somehow they'd all managed to make things work. The thought their dynamics might fall apart with that first break paraded through his head, and icy terror settled deep in his gut. Ignoring it, he made the last few steps and set the plate in front of Cynthia.

"Here you go," he said as he slid onto the bench beside her.

Emmy looked at the small mountain of food packed onto the plate before arching an eyebrow at him. She chuckled when he responded with an infinitesimal shrug of his shoulders and nudged Cynthia to eat.

"Oh good, I'm starving," she said, seeming to just then notice the plate in front of her. Cynthia picked up the fork and laughed as she surveyed his selections: fried potatoes, a couple pork buns, cake, a couple cookies, a few other small sweets and deep fried foods, and a bit of fresh fruit. Turning to him with a mischievous smirk that spoke to the first bit of resemblance he noticed between her and Natsu, she said, "I'm goin' to start calling you Loke the Carb King."

The confused look he responded with sent her into another fit of giggles before she speared several of the potatoes and ate them with relish.

"What's a carb?" Mei asked. She'd developed a light flush from drinking, and her expression showed as much confusion as he felt.

"It's short for carbohydrate," Cynthia explained once she'd swallowed the bite she'd taken. "It's a mmm...a mic…a mmm." She growled in frustration and heaved a huge sigh. "Stuff like sugar and starch," she said a bit too loud. "Fruit and vegetables have a little, but stuff like bread, pasta, potatoes, and sweets have a bunch!"

Having finished her explanation with a decisive nod, Cynthia scooped up another fork full of potatoes. She took her time taking the bite, closing her eyes as she slid the lumps of potato off the tines, and humming her enjoyment. Loke swallowed around a lump in his throat, discomfited by the way his mind twisted a likely innocent gesture into something vaguely suggestive, and tore his attention away from her, searching for something safer to focus on. Sitting to her other side, Tsubaki ducked her head with a light blush staining her cheeks.

Laughter shined in Emmy's eyes as she looked from Tsubaki to him before addressing Cynthia. "So I take it you like potatoes?" she asked.

Giggling as she chewed, Cynthia nodded. "I'm of Scots-Irish and German decent, of _course_ I like potatoes," she said, fairly bouncing in her chair as she speared more. She gestured with the loaded fork as she continued, "But who doesn't like 'em?" The woman took another almost reverent bite once she'd finished speaking.

As they spoke, the song had changed without Loke noticing. The singer's screaming, "Floor!" made him jump and covered any sounds she might have made in the process. He didn't listen to the lyrics for long, finding them and the music with them, a bit disturbing and incongruous with what he knew of Cynthia's personality. So he did what he always did when given mixed signals: ignored them and tried a different tact.

"I've never seen you eat them before," Loke stated.

"That's because I don't most of the time anymore," Cynthia said with a pouting frown. "Not worth the inevitable pain." She speared the last fork full of them and lifted it in front of her eyes, crossing them to consider the object. "But I can't seem to care tonight."

"Pain?" Loke yelped and reached for the fork. She dodged away from him, almost tipping back off the bench in the process. "Are you allergic to them?"

"Of course not," Cynthia scoffed, weaving back the other way to avoid another grab for the fork and slamming her shoulder into his ribs. He grunted at the impact, and she let out a not too sincere sounding, "Oops."

Mei cleared her throat, drawing their attention, and regarded them with one haughtily raised eyebrow. "Why does pain result then?" she asked.

Loke felt his ears go hot, and he sifted several inches away from Cynthia, embarrassed at being caught acting like a kid. She at least had the excuse of verging on drunk, but he was sober.

"Nightshades are inflammatory," Cynthia answered and ate the last bits of potato with an air of triumph. She took care to chew and swallow before continuing. "And I've got enough of that going on on a good day, so I avoid 'em." She gestured to her plate as a whole. "And processed sugars and trans fats." She sighed and picked at her piece of cake. "Pretty much anything besides fruit, meat, and veggies, truth be told, but nightshades, sugars, and trans fats are the worst about it, for me anyway." Shrugging, she finally scooped up a bite of cake and ate it.

"Eating this stuff is going to make you hurt tomorrow?" Emmy pressed for clarification.

Cynthia wobbled her head from one side to the other as she chewed. "Probably," she agreed and gathered up more cake onto her fork. "Maybe for a few days, depending on how much I eat or how badly I overdo it dancing."

"You act like it's nothing," Loke mumbled.

Ignoring, or maybe not even registering, the disbelief in his tone, Cynthia shrugged. "I'm used to it."

Silence fell over their table. Loke was having a bit of trouble processing this new information about his friend, and judging by their expressions Emmy and Tsubaki were too. Mei was harder to read with her emotionless mask firmly back in place and eyes glazed over, leading him to believe she was lost in thought or daydreams.

Without the distraction of conversation, he noticed the music again. The growling singer insisting nothing was wrong with him was gone, replaced by drums mixed with muted shouts and groans. He watched Cynthia rocking to the rhythm of the music and enjoying the rich foods he'd given her with a childlike glee. Such dark, angry music clashed with most everything he knew about her, and he wondered just how much she'd hidden from them.

"What kind of stuff are you into girl?" Tsubaki asked with a giggle a few moments later. "This music's all over the place," she said, referring to the song speaking about counting bodies and war drums.

"I don't discriminate by genre," Cynthia answered with a prim sniff. She managed to hold the expression until she opened her eyes and looked at the gobsmacked faces around her. Dissolving into another fit of giggles, she gestured to the air around them with her thankfully empty fork and said, "This one and the last were on my writing playlist." Cynthia shrugged and favored them with that mischievous smirk again. "An author's gotta have kickass music to inspire them while writing gnarly battles, and I was in the middle of a civil war."

A mixture of shock and concern wrote itself over the girls' faces, causing Loke to realize her explanation wasn't very clear.

"I think she means writing a fictional civil war, not living through one," he said.

The girls' gazes slid from him back to Cynthia as she nodded. Relief cleared Emmy's expression as she watched the older woman go back to swaying and enjoying sweets. She shook her head and chuckled.

"You're a strange woman, Mrs. Williams," Emmy said.

"In some circles," Cynthia agreed with a bobbing nod. "In others, I'm downright boring," she added with a grin and popped a truffle into her mouth.

She sighed and closed her eyes, swaying once more to the fading strains of the song as she slowly chewed the bit of chocolate. The next began with something that sounded almost like ghostly, distorted voices and Cynthia's brow creased for a moment as if she was struggling to place the song pulled from her memory an hour before. It smoothed several seconds later when the first bars began to play.

"I don't typically care for Manson, but this cover's amazing," she said. Pushing the still half full plate away, Cynthia drummed her fingers on the table a couple times. "I'm thirsty," she declared and stood.

Caught off guard by the abrupt action, Loke didn't move to stop her until Cynthia was stalking back toward the bar. The next thing he knew, Emmy's face was millimeters from his own, and she slipped a hand into one of his and reached for Tsubaki.

"She's right," Emmy said. "This one sounds cool. Let's dance."

Nodding dumbly, Loke allowed Emmy to pull him up and lead both him and Tsubaki back onto the dance floor. His mouth went dry as he found himself sandwiched between the two girls rolling and swaying their hips as they danced around him. Both girls had a bit of an exhibitionist streak. Despite what others might believe, Loke did not. He wasn't a prude by any means, but the way they were pressing against him, wriggling, and teasing him with fleeting touches in a public space left him torn between entrancement and discomfort.

Emmy caught his eye, and the laughter in her gaze prodded his pride. She knew exactly how uncomfortable this was making him, and the small but growing sadistic side of her was loving it, trusting he would move to stop things if it went too far. The knowledge of what she was doing gave him something to center on, and he smirked back. Taking her challenge, he became more of an active participant in the dance and let the rest of the world fall away.

A few moments later, the song ended, and Loke came back to the present to find a few of the guild members staring at them. A few of the men looked a bit jealous. A couple were still trying to pick their jaws up off the floor, and there were even a couple that looked somewhere between irritated and disgusted. Loke felt his entire face go hot as he folded in on himself and backed away from the girls while they just laughed and curtsied.

The next song began with the singer proclaiming, "Girls!" before continuing with assertion they run a mother?

He turned back to the table he'd been using in time to see Cynthia urging Mei to join her. Somewhere along the way, her hair had either fallen or been taken down from her usual bun, and it fell around her shoulders in broad waves, hiding her expression. The mildly annoyed twist to Mei's lips morphed into a conniving grin, and she swallowed the last of her wine in one gulp before standing to follow. Smiling, the pair almost skipped onto the dance floor, encouraging the other ladies to join them.

Mei sauntered past Loke with a saucy smile and taunting brush of her fingers over his jaw, only to link arms with the women walking behind him and pull them back toward the dance floor. He turned, pouting at being left alone for the split second it took what he was witnessing to register. It looked like most of the women present had taken over the dance floor for this song declaring how they ran the world. They jumped and twisted, swayed, stomped, and tossed their hair in a chaotic, disjointed display of feminine confidence as they all both teased and ignored the men around them.

A glance around the room proved Loke wasn't alone in feeling gobsmacked by what was happening. All around the hall, wizards watched the women dancing with expressions ranging from wary to lustful to just plain confused. Then the song ended with one last exclamation of, "Girls," and the spell broke as the women clapped and cheered.

Another song began to play. The small mob of women broke apart to allow room for their male friends to join them once again. Loke let himself be pulled back into the dance by his girls and tried his best to follow along. Yet as the night wore on, and more of the crowd became intoxicated, form began to mean less and less. Letting go of his own awkwardness with the assurance most of the people here tonight wouldn't retain clear memories of anything that went on, Loke let himself just move with the music.

The next several songs were all upbeat with a range of topics. Loke danced with all three of his girlfriends around him. Every now and again, he caught sight of Cynthia weaving her way around the dance floor, bopping along to the beat. She meandered here and there dancing with no one in particular, but with the nature of the dance, neither did she dance alone.

Then her posture went rigid, and all color drained from her face as the current song began with a four count and a quiet, "Turn it up." She was shouldering her way through the crowd and dashing out the door before the first note played.

A shove sent Loke stumbling forward a step, and he looked back to see Emmy gesturing for him to go.

"Don't just stand there," she urged. "Go make sure she's alright!"

Catching sight of a not quite sober Natsu so absorbed in the photo album he hadn't even noticed Cynthia running out, Loke realized Emmy was right. No one else was going after her, and the woman wasn't herself at the moment. He nodded and ran out of the guild after her.

Loke didn't have far to look. Cynthia leaned against the tree growing just over the brook. Her hair fell over her face, and he couldn't tell if she was panting or crying from the way her shoulders shook. With her in sight and not wanting to spook her further, Loke slowed his steps and slid his hands back into his pockets as he approached.

She sank down onto the ground and turned to press her back to the tree's trunk as he crossed the footbridge. Cynthia's head lolled back, and he could see the shine of tears on her cheeks as her hair fell away. Padding across the thick grass, Loke eased down to sit by her side.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah." Cynthia sighed, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs as she did so. "I'm sorry." Lifting her head, she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. "I just." She shook her head. "I can't listen to that song right now."

"Memories?"

Shaking her head again, Cynthia rubbed the back of her fist over her eyes. "Hits a little too close to home." She let her hand fall back down, hugged her knees tight, and used them as a chin prop. "I try to stay positive, but I'm beginning to worry I'll never get home."

Loke wrapped an arm around Cynthia's shoulders, pulling her into a loose hug. "I can understand that," he said. "Not being able to go home again." He grimaced. "It's a painful notion. Frightening."

Uncurling a bit, Cynthia leaned into the hug and allowed her head to rest against his shoulder. They sat there in the still evening, watching the sky darken and the first stars begin to twinkle.

"I don't even know if I'll have a home to go back to," Cynthia murmured after several minutes. "I keep hoping it's just been a few days for them, but what if it's been years?"

"That I don't know."

Guilt pulled at Loke again harder than ever. He knew realities like his home and this one, where the flow of time and laws of nature were similar, were rare things, but that fact kept slipping his mind.

Cynthia needed to speak with a celestial wizard and their spirits to further her research. He couldn't claim to know anything about the why and how of the gates, but he knew where a celestial wizard was, if they hadn't moved. Regulus knew how often he'd had to listen to Aquarius' diatribes regarding Layla's daughter over the last few years, right up until he was banished. Yet he couldn't bring himself to just say so. How could he explain without confessing what he'd done? No matter how much he deserved to die for his crime, Loke couldn't face waiting out his sentence having lost the few friends he'd made or his life in Magnolia. Who could accept a murderer? Even if they could, he wasn't about to drag them down to his level.

No, he needed to find records, something he could show Cynthia to explain how he knew without revealing his past in the process. Magnolia didn't have them. He'd checked. He was sure Acalypha had some record of Layla and Jude, home to the guild where they worked for so long, but Layla hadn't joined as a wizard. Would that part of her past be recorded by a merchant's guild? He doubted it.

Somehow he had to get them both to Crocus and soon, for both their sakes.

Cynthia pulled away and sat up. "I'm so pathetic," she said with a humorless laugh. "Middle of a party, and here I am moping again." She rubbed her eyes and raked her fingers through her hair.

"It's not a sin to feel sad," Loke said.

Wincing as she hit a knot, Cynthia pulled the section of hair where she could see it and began pulling it apart with exaggerated care. "I suppose not," she agreed. "Doesn't make it any less pathetic though." Finished untangling the knot, Cynthia scraped her hair back away from her face and peered up at him. "I'm sorry I made you leave the party and come check on me."

"You didn't make me do anything," Loke said. "I wanted to."

"Sure you did." Cynthia patted his knee and gave him a skeptical look before staggering onto her feet. She stumbled and wobbled back toward the guild grumbling under her breath. "Cause leaving the middle of three dancing beauties to chase after some fat, crying toad makes so much sense."

Scrambling off the ground, Loke caught up with her in two wide strides. She batted away his attempts to help steady her as this latest bout of melancholy turned to stubborn irritation. So he settled for walking at her pace, hovering close enough to catch her if she took a tumble.

"Don't go talking about a friend of mine like that," he said. "It's liable to get you in trouble."

She let out a derisive snort. "No law against speakin' the truth."

"Would Lee marry a toad?"

"That argument never worked for him, it ain't gonna work for you," Cynthia said as she staggered toward the glow emanating from the guild's windows. "Emotion warps perception. Love doesn't make you any less ugly or disdain less beautiful. It just changes one person's perception of what those are."

"And Tsubaki says I'm a philosophical drunk."

A startled laugh escaped Cynthia. Loke opened the guild door for them, and both mages went back inside.

The song that'd so upset her was long over. Another that sounded like a haunting lullaby was playing now. Emmy looked up from where she was speaking with a sleepy looking Tsubaki, who was slumped over their table, and gave him an approving smile before returning her attention to the intoxicated girl. Out on the dance floor, a few couples waltzed, and Mei swayed and twirled by herself, eyes closed and lost in her own little world.

* * *

Irritated beyond belief at her weakness, Cindy brushed past Loke and through the open door. Her shoulders relaxed a bit as she noticed Sweet Home wasn't playing anymore. As much as she enjoyed the song playing now, it was high enough to hurt her ears tonight. But instead of wimping out and running again, she used the ringing to fuel her determination to push desperation and loneliness aside and just enjoy herself for a couple hours.

"Hey Aunt Cindy," Natsu called from the bar."

Cindy looked up to find the boy sitting in front of the album she'd been given and waving to catch her attention.

"Who are these people?"

Curious now at what he'd found, she hurried across the guild to see. The floor heaving and rolling under her feet slowed her down, and she gave it a good glare as she fought to stay on her feet. Natsu laughed at her predicament, the little jerk, but then he reached out and help her steady herself once she got close to the bar.

"Man, you can't hold your liquor, huh?" he said.

"I'm fine," Cindy insisted, clutching onto the counter. "It's not my fault everything's tilting in here."

Come to think of it, her mouth was really dry. It kind of felt like she'd been trying to eat cotton wool all day, and something smelled good. Still holding onto the counter tight enough to make her knuckles blanch, Cindy slid onto one of the stools and looked for the source of the yummy smell. She discovered Erza sitting a couple seats down enjoying a huge slice of cake, but it was the electric pink drink on the bar in front of her that caught Cindy's eye.

"Hey Mira," she said, waving to get the girl's attention. She pointed toward Erza's drink when Mira turned to take her order. "I want one of those, please."

Mira grimaced, and she hesitated before saying, "Don't you think you've had enough alcohol tonight?"

"Ah don't be a spoil sport, Mira," Natsu said. "Cindy never cuts loose, and she deserves to party sometimes, same as anybody else."

The barmaid gave Cindy another skeptical look laced with worry but left to fill the order nonetheless. Knowing she'd have relief for her dry mouth shortly, Cindy leaned over as far as she dared to see what pictures Natsu was asking about just now.

He flipped back a couple of pages. "I think I know who these people are," he said. Pointing at each in turn, Natsu said his best guess at who was in each picture based off the stories she'd told him over the three months she'd been in Earthland. He got several of them right, and she corrected him on the ones he guessed wrong as they flipped farther into the album.

"I've got no idea who any of these guys are though," he said when they'd reached the pictures he'd been looking at before.

"Oh wow," Cindy said as she looked over the familiar faces in the images. "These are old!"

With a swift turn she regretted immediately as it made the room spin again, Cindy squinted at Natsu. "How old are you?" she asked.

Natsu's forehead creased with such a look of startled confusion it made her giggle, and he answered, "Fifteen."

Settling back onto her stool as she was before, Cindy nodded to herself. "Okay, so I was somewhere around your age here then," she said, pointing to the scrawny girl with a bad perm she'd been back in late junior high. "These guys were my classmates and friends," she said. "It looks like these are from band camp. Maybe? See how we're all kinda sunburned?"

"You were in a band?" Gray asked.

Cindy blinked at the boy, only then noticing he was sitting on the other side of Natsu, just as engrossed in the pictures despite the fact they never really talked much aside from her getting onto him for stripping. She shrugged. "The band was the only team that ever won anything for our school back then."

Mira returned and set one of the sweet smelling pink drinks in front of Cindy. She smiled at the younger girl and lifted the glass. It tasted as strongly of strawberries as it'd smelled, and she laughed with delight before taking a longer sip.

"What about these guys?" Natsu asked, flipping another page in the album. "More classmates of yours?"

Setting her glass back down, Cindy peered at the pictures Natsu indicated. The night shown sprang back into her memory with such clarity, she almost felt like she was there again. She waited for the hit of gut wrenching heartache thinking about that group usually brought, but it didn't come. Sighing with relief, she leaned against Natsu's arm and set her chin on his shoulder as she studied the images of about a dozen young people ranging in age from fifteen to their early twenties.

"In a way I suppose," she said. "We studied together some, but we were more like family than just friends."

"Oh?" Natsu said.

Cindy hummed. "That's the old teenage class from the church I grew up in," she said. "We all knew each other since we were itty bitty, and we got together a lot just to have fun." She pointed to one picture of a bunch of them all crowded around a table holding colorful cards. "Like the game night shown here."

Natsu glanced at Aunt Cindy out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes flitted over the page, and a bittersweet grin formed on her face. Natsu looked back down, trying to see what she was seeing in the photographs.

A couple blonds danced in a rather drab, beige room as a sandy haired guy talked from his seat on the floor. A big guy with dark hair dove toward one image's perspective. Another showed the same guy squished between a mattress knocked off its frame and the wall of that same beige room while the blonds clutched their sides and laughed. The top of the other page had the image of them all playing cards. Below that was an image of the sandy haired guy arranging sandwiches on a tray and another of one of the older blond from before making sandwiches while a woman who was clearly her mother cooked at the stove. At the bottom of the page was the same guy again, this time wearing glasses and smiling up at the "camera."

"Actually, I think all of these might be from the same night," Cindy said.

"This guy's in just about all of them," Gray commented and pointed to the man with sandy hair.

Cindy chuckled. "That's Jack," she said. "He was one of my best friends." She lifted her head up off Natsu's shoulder and shifted, looking at something behind them. "Loke reminds me a lot of him, actually." Settling back into the position she'd been in before, Cindy giggled to herself. "He stuck to one girlfriend at a time, but man, that boy was always surrounded by girls."

"He's not in any of the later pictures," Natsu said.

Cindy gave an affirmative hum. "His family moved not long after this," she said.

"You didn't try to keep in touch?" Gray said.

Cindy sat up, pulling away from Natsu's shoulder, and cleared her throat. "They visited pretty often for a while," she said, "until he got sick."

Picking up her drink, Cindy tossed it back. Knowing how syrupy the cocktail Erza favored was because of a poorly thought out taunt last year, Natsu grimaced, fighting a sympathetic gag at the imagined taste.

"Sorry," Gray muttered. "I didn't mean to dredge up painful memories."

"It's okay," Cindy said, setting the long stemmed glass her drink had been served in back on the counter. "It was a long time ago." Turning her attention to Gray, Cindy squinted and got a look on her face like she couldn't quite figure something out. "What happened to your shirt?"

Gray looked down to find not only his shirt but pants missing. He jumped off his stool with a shout of, "Crap!" and ran off in search of his missing clothes.

Natsu laughed, and he could hear Cindy giggling where she sat beside him. He turned back around to find her sitting with her eyes closed, listening to the music playing around them and swaying a little in her seat. Natsu payed a bit more attention to it than he had been, but it wasn't one he'd ever heard her singing. Still, she obviously knew it since she was mouthing all the words right along with the song.

Damn this song was depressing! No time. No place. Dreams slipping away. Yet the look on her face wasn't exactly sad.

Cindy's eyes opened, and she focused on him. Turning, she nudged his shoulder.

"Dance with me?"

Why she wanted to dance to this song of all things, he didn't understand, but he didn't see why not. He nodded and got up to follow his aunt onto the dance floor. Never much of one for dancing at all, Natsu found himself at a loss for how to go about it with something as slow as this, but it didn't seem like Cindy was in much condition to care at this point. They wound up more or less just standing and swaying.

"You know, I never thought about it before, but I think this song woulda suited Jack," Cindy said.

"How's that?"

"According to his sister, he always had a sense he'd die young," she answered. "It pushed him to live life with everything he had, every day." Her eyes glazed over, losing herself to memory. "I was one of the lucky ones," she said. "To see the quieter side he buried under a clown act anytime there was a crowd."

"Why would he do that?"

Cindy's eyes cleared as she looked up at him. "Fear," she said. "He didn't like himself so much, and nothing any of us said made any difference. So he put on an act he thought people would like better."

* * *

"She better now?" Mei asked as she returned to their table at the end of the song.

Loke nodded. "Yeah," he said. "That song just took her by surprise."

Emmy hummed. "It was talking about going home," she said. "No luck on that front, I guess."

Shaking his head, Loke said, "No." He sighed, and his attention slid to the request board. "Dahlia's library was a dead end."

Turning his head to Emmy, he caught her attention before glancing at Tsubaki, who had dozed off on the table, and Mei. "You good here for a few?" he asked. "Or do you need me to stay?"

"Go on," Emmy said. "I've got things for a bit."

Loke paused to press a kiss to the top of her head with a quiet, "Thanks," before trotting to the request board. As usual, most of the jobs were small, local gigs. He kept reading, hoping one would take him at least close to the capitol. After a few minutes of checking back through the requests he'd seen earlier in the week, a new flyer caught Loke's eye.

Forsythia was having problems with a gang of bandits camped out in the forest separating it from Crocus. The bandits were clever enough to leave the residents of Crocus be and stuck close to the smaller town's outer limits, so the Rune Knights hadn't been deployed. Excitement sparked and sent relief rolling over Loke as he pulled the request down from the board.

Dodging around a Gray in frantic search of his clothes, Loke headed toward the bar to file the job. Cynthia pulled Natsu back out onto the dance floor, leaving the bar deserted aside from Erza, Mira, and the photo album. Loke didn't bother with a stool as he handed the request off to Mira, who teased him about thinking of work during a party but went to file the acceptance nonetheless.

Loke's attention drifted to the still open album as he waited for the barmaid to return. His blood ran cold, and he felt rooted to the spot as his eyes fell on a familiar face staring back at him from its pages.

Layla danced alongside a blond, who was otherwise a doppleganger of Karen, in one image. Another showed both women bowed over with laughter. In another, Layla was seen in profile playing a game with colorful cards around a table packed with young people, and Karen sat to the opposite side of the table, pressed close to a boy featured in many of the other photos. Yet another image showed Layla making sandwiches while an older woman, who looked a lot like Layla's mother, cooked at the stove.

Feeling like the ground had dropped out from under him, Loke's heart pounded in his chest, making it hard to breathe. How had two of the ghosts haunting him wound up in Cynthia's album? Natsu claimed she was an alternate version of his aunt. Had she known versions of Layla and Karen in her world?

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Mira said with laughter in her voice as she returned the request.

"Nah," Loke said, covering how shaky he felt with nervous laughter. "Just a bit tired. I think I'm going to go home." He glanced back at Cynthia and Natsu, who'd finished dancing and separated to go talk to friends. "If Cynthia gets back here before I do in the morning, can you let her know I've got another job lined up, if she wants to join me?"

"Sure," Mira said. "It's the least I can do after all the trouble I caused."

"In the past," Loke answered with a shake of his head. "But thank you."

He dashed away from the bar, careful not to look back. Once at the table he'd been sharing with the girls, he and Emmy roused Tsubaki and Mei and guided them out of the guild toward home.

* * *

Cindy felt like she'd spent most of the evening trapped in her head, screaming at herself to no avail. Stop eating stuff that'll leave you feeling wrecked for a week! Shut up already, you're saying too much. No! Not another drink; you're drunk enough. Whatever happened to personal space, for heaven's sake? Get your uncoordinated rear off the dance floor. You're making a fool of yourself!

It was like her body was moving on autopilot. Thoughts didn't register before she was off doing something or blurting out things no one here needed, or probably even wanted, to know. The urge to eat or drink or dance hit, and she was off fulfilling it before she even recognized it was there.

" _This is why you don't drink, you idiot_!" she yelled into the void, knowing it would do no good.

Cindy hadn't gotten drunk often because it was always like this. She thought Feud was a pervy quack for the most part, but he might have been onto something with the id, ego, and superego bit. It was like alcohol split her mind apart, booting _her_ away from the controls and handing them over those parts of herself she tried to squash into oblivion. The parts of her that only cared about the moment and gave no thought to consequence and the future. She loathed this loss of control, so she never allowed herself enough alcohol to bring it on.

Heaving a mental sigh, Cindy wondered if she wasn't so much drunk as having a mental breakdown. Goodness knows she was probably pretty close as it was given the way she experienced writing for the characters she'd created. How often had she built whole personas and slipped into them like some form of mental cosplay? Was it truly just "method writing," or had she fallen victim to schizophrenia somewhere along the line?

" _Enough of that_ ," Cindy chided herself. " _Let's not get paranoid. You've just had too much to drink_."

The honey whiskey here was so smooth, it was dangerous. It didn't carry the acrid smell of alcohol or burn going down, but it obviously packed more of a punch than she'd realized.

" _Dear God, please let me remember this_ ," the still cognizant part of her prayed, " _so I can never make this mistake again_."

A flush of frustration drew her attention to "the idiot," as she'd taken to calling her drunk self, becoming fed up with trying to follow the card game Wakaba, Macao, and Cana were playing. The music changed, and the idiot decided dancing sounded much more fun anyway. Too tired now to protest, Cindy just watched as the idiot got up and began, well, flailing and wiggling around more than actually dancing. At least she'd had the decency to just dance alone this time instead of dragging some poor guy along with her.

Old memories dredged up by the song playing distracted her and the idiot both. She'd put this old rock classic in a playlist she had going at work a lot. Even on shuffle, this song tended to come up when she was finalizing the automation logs for the next day. The thought she missed something so routine and boring made both of them laugh.

Lulled by the idiot's still embarrassing but more or less benign actions, Cindy relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. It's not like there was anything she could do for now anyway. She'd agonize over her mortification later, if she managed to remember tonight come morning.

She relaxed, that was, until a large hand wrapped around her wrist sometime later. Cindy returned to high alert in time to see the room blur as her body was spun around. The image of Laxus looming over her sent a shock of fear skittering down her spine. Cindy tried to take control of her body back from the idiot and pull back. Her attempt failed, but once again, she and the idiot were in sync.

"Ah ah ah," Laxus chided, responding to her attempt to step away by tightening his grip. "I got here late, and I can't let the evening pass without a minute with the birthday girl, now can I?"

"It's rude not to ask," the idiot shot back, and Cindy agreed.

"Oh, but you were dancing all alone," Laxus said. "I thought you must be lonely."

"I like being alone," the idiot said.

Laxus laughed. "Is that so?" He sneered down at her, and Cindy felt her gut begin to churn. "Why are you still here then, Sparky?" Laxus looked away from her to glance around the guild. "Seems like an awful lot of company for someone who likes to be alone."

"It wasn't my idea."

"Oh, but I think it was." Laxus shook his head and trained his eyes on her once again. "You wormed your way in awfully quick, and I have to wonder how you did it?"

He squeezed her hand tight enough to grind the her knuckles together. Cindy winced, and she heard the idiot yelp with her voice.

"Then I got to thinking," Laxus continued. "How easy would it be for a telepathy mage to enchant the minds of others into trusting them?"

"That's unethical," the idiot protested.

"Isn't it though?" Laxus agreed, but the fact his sneer remained made it clear he thought that's what she'd done.

"So what is it?" he pushed. "What are you after in Fairy Tail?" His eyes narrowed as he considered her.

The idiot squirmed and pulled, trying to get out of the large man's grasp. Laughing again, he let her go, and she stumbled back several steps before regaining her balance.

"I'm not after anything, you spoiled little brat!"

The sound of the wind whistling outside and rattling branches against the side of the building filled the hall in the lull between songs, catching Cindy's notice. The weather was perfect just a bit ago when she was outside with Loke. How had it gone bad so quickly?

* * *

Aunt Cindy's angry voice pulled Natsu's attention away from the arm wrestling tournament he and a bunch of the guys had going. He spun around to see her glaring up at an amused Laxus in the middle of the dance floor.

"Little?" Laxus scoffed. "I think you have me confused with that idiot you live with."

Anger flared in Natsu's gut, and he balled his fists, ready to challenge Laxus to a fight for the insult, but Cindy beat him to it. She didn't even rear back. She just stepped forward and punched Laxus right in the throat!

It was surprisingly fast, especially considering how drunk she was, and it must have caught Laxus off guard. Otherwise, Natsu doubted it would have even landed let alone with enough power to make the larger man stagger back coughing.

"You better watch your mouth, boy," Aunt Cindy growled. "Or someone might knock to those pretty teeth down your throat."

* * *

" _What are you doing_?" Cindy screamed inside her head. " _Do you have a death wish_?"

Laxus' goading had managed to wake the more redneck side of herself Cindy thought long buried, and her temper dropped the idiot's IQ another few dozen points. It was a small miracle the punch had landed, not to Laxus' nose as it was aimed but his throat. If the moron now in control of her body had any sense at all, she'd take this chance to run, but instead she stood her ground and added insult to injury.

" _I'm so dead_!"

* * *

"You're going to pay for that," Laxus said before hitting Aunt Cindy with a bolt of lightning.

Natsu heard Happy call out the same time he did, and he leapt over a table in his hurry to join the brawl. Thankfully it didn't look like the hit phased her all that much. He assumed being a lightning mage gave her resistance to electrical attacks like his fire magic did him with flames. Cindy grinned, and something about it looked familiar even though he'd never seen her grin like that before.

Jerking her head to one side, a loud pop sounded from Cindy's neck. Outside, thunder rumbled overhead. "That tickled," she said. Her tone was surprised and a bit awed as a fire lit behind her eyes.

* * *

The sensation of power welling up around him in waves and the howling of a storm brewing outside woke Makarov from the wine induced dose he'd slipped into. He swiped a hand over the hairs standing up along the nape of his neck and squinted to try and focus bleary eyes.

When the room came back into focus, Makarov rather wished it hadn't. Once again, his children were engaged in an all out brawl in the middle of the guild hall. It was next to impossible to see who was fighting whom amidst the chaos, and as far as he was concerned, it didn't really matter. What mattered was they were damaging his guild hall!

Using his magic to increase in size until he towered over the entire group of unruly brats, Makarov growled out an order for them to stop. As usual, the effect was immediate. All fights ground to a halt, and half cast spells fizzled out. The sound of the storm outside grew more prominent as relative silence fell over the guild.

"That's it!" he said. "Party's over. Everyone go home!"

His children groaned in disappointment but began to gather up their things and head out. Nodding at a job well done, Makarov shrank back down to his usual size.

Lightning flashed bright right outside the guild, and thunder loud enough to rattle the windows crashed, making him flinch. Only then did he notice one of his brats hadn't stopped calling on their magic.

The fact it was Cindy who did so was a surprise, and he was sure she hadn't had this much power before. He trotted over to the woman, who sat hunched over a table clutching a bunched up napkin to a busted lip. She looked up at him with one eye wild, the pupil completely blown. Her other eye was beginning to swell shut, and her breathing was ragged.

"You can stop calling on your magic now," Makarov said, keeping his tone gentle.

"Can't," Cindy said. Her voice shook, and the act of speaking started her lip bleeding again. "Want to, but can't."

Taking pity on the woman, Makarov knocked her out. The magic field began to fade, and he sighed. Leaving Cindy where she was for now, he jumped down from the bench and made his way over to Mirajane.

"You know how much Cindy had to drink tonight?" he asked, and she nodded. "Cut her off at half that amount from now on.

* * *

**Songs included in the playlist for this half of the party include:**

1\. Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez  
2\. Bodies by Drowning Pool  
3\. Counting Bodies Like Sheep by A Perfect Circle  
4\. Sweet Dreams: Marilyn Manson's Cover  
5\. Run the World by Beyonce'  
6\. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor  
7\. American Woman by Lenny Kravitz  
8\. Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane  
9\. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd  
10\. It's Not Over by Daughtry  
11\. Come Little Children cover by Katethegreat19  
12\. It's Been a While by Staind  
13\. Who Wants to Live Forever by Queen  
14\. Elastic Heart by Sia  
15\. Don't Hold Back by Potbelleez  
16\. Disturbia by Rihanna  
17\. Back in Black by AC/DC  
18\. Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin  
19\. Riot by Three Days Grace  
20\. Prelude 12/21 by AFI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I started on these past couple of chapters, I thought most of Loke's girlfriends would just be flat background characters. Well, that went out the window! Writing Loke with his girlfriends and their whole dynamic is the first time I've attempted to write any sort of romantic grouping outside of monogamous, heterosexual couples. How'd I do?


	30. Hungover Revelations

Cindy groaned, laying a hand over her eyes to block out light that was too bright even through closed lids. The action sent pain shooting back through her socket like an ice pick to the eye as she hit what felt like a bad bruise. Coming more awake, Cindy began to notice a lot of new aches along with the sensation of being in an unfamiliar room. Uncertainty and confusion sparked fear and made her heart rate pick up, which had the unfortunate effect of setting her already aching head to pounding.

Easing her eyes open a crack, Cindy winced and blinked several times as she tried to get her eyes to adjust to the light. Morning sunlight glinted off crisp, white sheets in what looked like the guild infirmary, and she wasn't alone. Figures obscured by bandages or marred with bruises and swollen lumps occupied several of the beds.

Taking her time to prevent jarring injuries anymore than necessary, Cindy eased herself into a seated position on the bed. She searched her memory, looking for how she might have gotten here. She remembered returning to the guild with Levy late in the afternoon, Natsu jumping up on the bar, and being shocked at walking into the first surprise party anyone had ever thrown for her. She'd opened a couple of the most thoughtful gifts she could remember receiving, downed a whiskey, and danced. Then just...nothing.

Looking around, the fact the party had ended in a guild wide brawl was evident. Gray, Elfman, Freed, Max, Cana, Natsu, and her all sleeping it off in the infirmary with various bandaged wounds was a dead giveaway. How much had she drunk last night?

"Hey, you're awake."

Cindy turned her head to see Mira entering the infirmary with a tray covered with glasses full of water and a bottle of what Cindy assumed was some form of pain reliever. The movement made her head swim, and she clutched the sides of the bed to keep from tipping over.

"Yeah," she said, but it came out more as a whispered rasp because of the sore dryness of her throat.

Mira tip toed over to the bed where Cindy sat and scooted the tray she carried onto the bedside table there. She handed Cindy a glass of water before opening the bottle of pain relievers and shaking out a couple.

With the way her stomach was already roiling, Cindy eyed the pills, wary of taking them. She had a long love/hate relationship with over the counter pain medicines, having reached the point where taking anything in the NSAID group did as much harm as good in her system well over a year ago. The pain reliever she'd been given after the incident in Akane hadn't been as rough on her, but it'd still left her feeling ill for hours. Would she even be able to keep these down if she took them?

"I'll pass on the pills, thanks," Cindy said, accepting the water but waving away the medicine.

"You were really out of it last night, and you took a pretty brutal beating," Mira chided and offered her the pills again. "I know you've got to be hurting."

"Oh, I feel like death warmed over," Cindy agreed after taking a careful sip of the water. "I appreciate the thought, but with the way I'm feeling, those'll just come right back up." Mira gave her a skeptical look, but she laid the pills on the tray nonetheless. Cindy took another careful sip of her water.

"What exactly happened last night?" she asked.

Mira chuckled. "I thought you might have trouble after all that booze," she said with an amused smirk. "How much do you remember?"

"Y'all yelling surprise, the cake, the gifts, getting a whiskey, dancing for a while…" She trailed off. "Ordering a second whiskey?"

Mira nodded.

"And it's pretty much a blank after that," Cindy said.

"Well, I was busy most of the night serving drinks," Mira said, careful to keep her voice down enough not to disturb the others. "But I know you danced with Natsu, Elfman, and Loke and then spent some time with him and his girls after that second whiskey," she rambled off. "Then got another one."

Cindy winced and took another sip of her water. No wonder she felt like hell. Two was pushing it for her, and she knew that from past experience. Whatever possessed her to keep drinking?

"You came back to the bar sometime later and ordered a sunrise and looked at the album with Natsu and Gray for a while," Mira continued. "Oh, Loke stopped by the bar just after you all left to dance some more and accepted a job request. He wanted you to know in case you felt up to joining him on it."

Cindy scoffed and immediately regretted it when her head began pounding again, causing her to groan. "Yeah, not sure I'll be up to that."

"Well, Master sent Macao to fetch Porlyusica to look everyone over a little bit ago, you especially," Mira said. "So you may be up and at 'em quicker than you think."

"Why me especially?" Cindy asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer or not.

"Oh!" Mira giggled. "I got distracted. As you can probably guess, there was another brawl last night, and you were a part of it." She gestured to the room as a whole.

"So I gathered."

"Well, your magical power spiked, and you lost control," Mira explained. "Master had to knock you out for your sake and the town's with the storm you brewed up."

Cindy felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head, and her stomach did a series of loop-de-loops that left her choking back the urge to hurl. "I did what?" she rasped once her system had settled enough to allow her to speak without gagging. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Oh no, don't worry," Mira said, raising her hands in a seemingly universal sign to calm down. "Aside from a hole in the guild's front grounds, it was all minor wind damage."

"A hole?"

Mira nodded. "Lightning strike," she explained. "Master put you on a two drink maximum in the guild from now on, but he's not angry with you. He just wants to know why your magic doubled when you were drunk."

"I can tell you that," Natsu grumbled with a sleep thickened voice where he lay in the next bed over. "She stopped holding back."

"You're probably right, but it never hurts to make sure," Mira agreed. She plucked another glass of water off the tray and the pills Cindy refused and gave them to Natsu.

He took them with a quiet thanks and downed the medicine with the entire glass of water, drinking like he was dying of thirst. The teen set the glass aside and pushed himself up, looking remarkably unscathed considering the events Mira described.

"You clocked Laxus a good one," he said, voice rising in excitement. "He even hit you with his lightning, and you just shrugged it off like it was nothing. You were awesome!"

Shock sent shivers down Cindy's spine as she saw a flash of the huge, blond mage looming over her, and things started making a scary kind of sense. But it couldn't be true though, could it? Laxus had her outclassed in most every category. If she'd picked a fight with him, there's no way she'd have come out the other side in one piece.

"I did what?" she asked. Maybe she just misheard.

"Laxus made a crack about me bein' dumb, and you throat punched him," Natsu reiterated with a proud grin. "Then he hit you with his lightning, and you just grinned and said it tickled!" Natsu laughed. "You shoulda seen the look on his face, Mira."

"I bet," she said.

"If that's true, then how am I still breathing?" Cindy asked. The way she felt and the swollen eye and lip made a lot more sense now, but shouldn't she be much worse off? "I've never been that good of a fighter, and I'm not a powerful wizard."

"Drunk you is," Natsu insisted.

"Okay fine, but drunk me is still me," Cindy said with as much of a head shake as she could manage. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does," said Natsu. He shrugged, and he took on a serious expression he didn't wear very often. "You just hold back so much, you've started to think you're only as strong as you let yourself be."

Trying to follow his logic there was too much for Cindy this early in the morning with the whole body migraine she had going on, but Mira was nodding like it made sense to her.

"Drunk Cindy didn't have that problem." Natsu's serious expression eased into one of pleased excitement that suited him better. "After that second drink hit ya, we got a peek at who you are without all the limits you keep putting on yourself."

"It's called rationality, Natsu," Cindy said.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Point is, you're a lot more powerful and a better fighter than you think." Scratching the back of his neck, he made an unsure sound in the back of his throat and winced when he hit a sore spot. "I mean, you still weren't strong enough to beat him, but you managed to hold your own against Laxus until Gramps broke the fight up."

Still unable to get her mind around the notion, Cindy decided to leave that kind of mental gymnastics for later and tried for a change of subject. "Who were you fighting then?" she asked. "Gray?"

Natsu shook his head. "I kept the rest of the Thunder Legion off your back."

The noise of their conversation began to wake the others after that, and Mira went to distribute the water and medicine to those in the infirmary right about the time Porlyusica arrived. She made short work of weeding through the minor injuries and hangovers as she wove her way around the room, and shooing those treated out of the infirmary as she went. By mid-morning, only Cindy remained in the room with the healer.

The old woman tisked as she looked Cindy over. "I've come to expect this kind of behavior from these children, but I'd have thought you'd know better," she said.

"Earthland whiskey's deceptive," Cindy said in her defense. "It tastes like the weak stuff back home, but I'm guessing it's really stronger."

"Mira told me what you ordered," Porlyusica grumbled as she cast a diagnostic spell over Cindy. "That brand's known for hitting inexperienced drinkers hard for that reason. Downside of magic filtration if you ask me."

"Well, I'll know not to overindulge from now on."

Porlyusica huffed, but a grin tugged at the corner of her lips. "Make sure you do." She studied the magic circles now hovering over Cindy's bed, and her expression sobered into something unreadable. Dismissing the circles, the healer turned toward the bag she'd placed on the bedstead and pulled out three jars.

"You have a mild concussion. Whether it's from the fight or the fact Makarov had to knock you out when you lost control of your weather magic, I don't know, but this will help," she said, handing Cindy a vial filled with a glowing, pink liquid.

Cindy took it and popped the cork. The sharp, acrid smell of it hit her nose, making her stomach flip. Holding her breath, Cindy gulped the bitter potion down as fast as possible. The lingering taste of it made her shudder, but the pounding, woozy feeling in her skull was already beginning to fade.

Porlyusica held out another vial, this one containing a dark green solution. "This is a bone mender," she explained. "You cracked a couple ribs and fractured another, and there's a hairline fracture in the zygomatic bone." The woman gestured toward Cindy's swollen eye. "Drink it fast and lay back, so I can make sure your ribs heal in the correct position."

The potion carried with it a smell reminiscent of moldy cereal when the vial was opened. Cindy held her breath and chugged the chalky liquid as fast as she could. She gagged, and the action treated her with another impression of soggy corn flakes that'd sat around long enough to go off. Swallowing down the urge to retch, Cindy did as the healer woman told her and lay back on the infirmary bed. Porlyusica placed her hands alongside the ache in her ribs, and a the glow of a magic circle formed between her side and the healer's hands.

Pain laced through her as one of the bones shifted, and warmth coiled around them. Cindy breathed in minuscule gasps sucked through clenched teeth as her body bowed up. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled her fists as tight as she could as the warmth surrounding her ribs increased in intensity until she felt like she'd been hit with one of Natsu's attacks. After what felt like an eternity, the healer released the spell, and the heat suffusing her side ebbed, allowing her body to ease out of the taught agony it'd been in and sag back onto the mattress.

Panting, Cindy eased her eyes back open to see Porlyusica regarding her with a sardonic expression. The older woman huffed and grumbled for her to sit back up already since her bones were almost done knitting. Cindy obeyed and wiped the gathering sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"And finally, a general restorative," Porlyusica said as she handed Cindy a vial filled with a clear, viscous liquid.

Cindy popped the vial open, braced for another bitter, biting smell, but the restorative was different altogether. She caught the fresh scent of oranges mixed with the cloying sweetness of sugared vanilla as she raised it to her lips. The potion was thick and slightly sticky, and it tasted like nothing more than the Flintstone's vitamins her mother had given her as a child. She finished it and returned the vial to Porlyusica, wishing she had another glass of water close at hand.

"You do know the phrase, 'pick on someone your own size,' doesn't mean pick a fight with the biggest, meanest idiot around, do you not?" Porlyusica said as she recorked the vial and put it back in her healer's bag. "I mean, really child? Laxus?"

"Apparently I become a lot less rational and a lot more reckless when I'm drunk," Cindy muttered. Her face grew hot, and she crossed her arms over her chest with an affronted sniff. "And he insulted my nephew."

"Nephew?" Confusion filled Porlyusica's tone as she frowned down at Cindy.

She could almost see the moment the light bulb went off in the older woman's head. Her eyes widened for a split second before she rolled them and sighed while shaking her head.

"Be that as it may," the healer continued, "have a care for your health. I might not be about to patch you up next time, and even if I am, I don't treat fools aside from Makarov."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Did I hear my name?" Makarov asked as he walked into the infirmary.

"I was just telling the girl my limit on foolish patients."

"Oh, don't be that way, Porly."

"Heh!"

Cindy watched the older couple bickering with growing amusement. She wondered exactly how far back their friendship went.

Makarov gave a good natured chuckle in response to the healer's huff before changing the subject. "So, how's your patient?"

"Obstinate and bullheaded," Porlyusica answered. "Just like I'd expect from one of your brats." The older woman's scowl tightened for a moment before it eased into her version of a neutral expression, which looked more like an average person's frown. "I've seen to her wounds, but I've had it from your barmaid that she refused the pain medication she was offered upon waking."

Cindy's stomach dropped as the attention of both wizards turned to her. Makarov's eyes narrowed, and he arched one eyebrow in inquiry.

"What?" she said with a defensive shrug. "Pain's easier to deal with than being queasy for hours on end."

Makarov's brow furrowed, and he turned to Porlyusica. The woman's expression cleared in understanding, and she nodded. Makarov's eyes darted from the healer to Cindy and back again, and receiving no answer to his unvoiced concerns, he sighed.

"Can you tell anything about what happened with Cindy's magic last night?" he asked instead.

Porlyusica nodded and cast another of her magic circles over Cindy's bed. With the lessons Levy had given her and the practice she'd had reading the local lettering over the past several months, Cindy was able to read them now. However, she didn't trust her ability to decipher the meaning of the readouts.

"Here is her base magic level reading," the healer explained, pointing to a reading of 469 mp. "But look at this," she pointed to another measure labeled 2738 mp. "My diagnostics read her levels as much higher than she's accessing on a regular enough basis to set the base number."

"Something's blocking her?" Makarov asked.

"From what I've heard, I have to say Cindy is blocking herself," Porlyusica said. "Sounds to me like deep down she's more like that boy of her's than anyone would ever guess. Where Natsu goes all out and then pushes farther when his feelings demand it, Mrs. Williams' expectations of her limits hem her in until her inhibitions are weakened."

"And since she isn't accustomed to controlling that level of power, it got away from her last night in her weakened state," Makarov mused.

"That'd be my guess, yes," Porlyusica agreed.

"What exactly are you two talking about?" Cindy asked. She'd been listening and had some idea of what they were saying, but it just didn't make sense to her. The Valehaven job and even a protracted but still friendly sparring match with Loke had pushed her to her limits. There was no way she was anywhere near powerful.

"Basic medical diagnostic spells can read a wizard's current magic levels, their potential, and the base reading of how much magic pressure they are accustomed to wielding," Porlyusica explained. "This is based on the relationship between a wizard's magic well and the effects drawing from it has on the body, so it's a bit more constant than those doodads the magic council uses to gauge the strength of a single spell."

"Okay," Cindy said, drawing out the word as she tried to process what she'd been told. "So isn't it normal for there to be a big difference in the numbers? I mean, Loke and Natsu keep getting irritated with me for pushing it too far."

"If you've been pushing it too far, as you say, your numbers should be almost identical," Porlyusica said. One eyebrow began ticking, and she raised a hand to begin rubbing one of her temples. "The mind is a powerful thing, Mrs. Williams, especially for telepathy mages. It is possible for one to bind their powers where even they cannot access them unless the block is undone somehow."

"So I've been hamstringing myself." Cindy closed her eyes to conceal the gigantic eye roll she gave herself and sighed. Her pessimism had bit her in the butt once again. Giving up scolding herself for something she didn't realize she'd been doing as unproductive and self-indulgent, she returned her attention to the two older wizards in the room with her.

"I still have no clue what those numbers mean exactly though," she said. "Are they high? Are they low? I have no idea."

"I can't give you the numbers of any of my patients due to healer patient privilege, but the average potential for a wizard of your experience is in the mid 2000s with a base number in the low 2000s," Porlyusica explained. "The numbers grow or diminish with training and use. The average for a wizard at their peak is somewhere around 17,000 with some of the most powerful hitting the mid 20,000s."

"So if I wasn't blocking myself, I'd actually be about average for someone working as a wizard for a few months?"

Porlyusica nodded.

"Now that's just pathetic."

A renewed throbbing ache set up around Cindy's swollen eye as Laxus' laughing, if somewhat strained and hoarse, drawl came from the infirmary entrance. She slouched down in her bed as she turned to regard the larger man. He was sporting a dark bruise roughly the size and shape of her fist over his Adam's apple, and what she could see of his forearms were peppered with other smaller bruises. Yet otherwise, he looked the same as always.

"And here I was thinking you might just have a backbone," he continued with a smirk.

Cindy's chest ached, and the back of her neck burned as anger kindled at the slight. "There's a difference between being spineless and lacking self-control," she said.

"Controlled by cowardice, you mean." Laxus laughed. "You can't even work up the nerve to wield the little bit of power you have!"

"Enough, Laxus!" Makarov snapped. "Cindy's consultation with her healer is none of your concern, and I've had enough of your childish taunts and insinuations."

"What?" Laxus laughed. "I'm just giving her the old Fairy Tail welcome." He grinned, but the vague sense of resentment Cindy always felt around the man never faded. Laxus stepped into the room with trumping steps, walking toward the bed where Cindy sat. "You know none of us really fits in until we prove we can take a hit." He gave her a "friendly" slap on the back hard enough to knock the wind out of her for a moment and send bolts of aching pain up and down her spine. "And Sparky here actually managed to hold her own last night." His grin shifted into more of a sardonic smirk as he gazed down at his grandfather. "Can't a guy congratulate a guild mate?"

* * *

Half an hour later, Cindy made her way into the guildhall. She still wasn't sure what was going on between Makarov and Laxus or how she'd managed to get caught in the periphery of their familial arguments, but the tensions had eased enough to keep things from escalating, at least for now. In any case, she was just happy to be out of the infirmary and away from the master and his rather spoiled and egotistical grandson.

Although clearer and much less painful than it'd been when she first woke, her head still ached something awful. Cindy pressed forward with careful steps, trying her best to keep from shuffling awkwardly while also avoiding jolting her back. Everything seemed to hurt today. After hearing about the dancing and brawl, she expected sore muscles, but her bones and joints ached in a way they usually didn't during the warmer, dryer months.

Making her way to the bar, Cindy asked Mira for her usual breakfast with an extra water. The perky barmaid went back into the kitchens with a nod and returned with the tray a couple minutes later. Picking it up, Cindy started toward the table in the back she tended to eat at when she ate at the guild.

"Hey, Cynthia!" called an unfamiliar female voice from a table just off to her left.

Cindy turned toward the voice to find Loke and a couple of his girls cuddled up on one of the benches. One of the girls was smiling at her and motioning for her to head their way. Cindy felt her expression pinch in confusion. Had she met the girl last night?

"Come join us," the girl said with a gesture toward the opposite side of the table.

Trying to put on a neutral mask, she made her way over to the group with a mental sigh. This was part of why she always ate at home.

"Rough night?" the other girl asked.

"Apparently," Cindy answered as she sat down. She couldn't quite bring herself to look the girls in the eyes, embarrassed she must have also forgotten being introduced to them at some point and not knowing how to bring it up.

The girl who had waved her over chuckled. "You don't remember meeting us last night, do you?" she asked.

Cindy winced. "No," she admitted, feeling a burn start at her ears and spread across her face. "Most of the night's kind of a blank."

The girl stuck her hand out toward Cindy. "Not to worry," she said. "We'll just introduce ourselves again. I'm Emmy."

Cindy shook her hand with the usual, "Nice to meet you," and then repeated the process with the other girl, who introduced herself as Tsubaki.

"Gossip has it you picked a fight with Laxus and started a brawl after we left," Emmy teased.

"So I've been told," Cindy said with an abashed wince and took a sip of her water. She glanced at Loke and felt another flush of embarrassment at the look he was giving her as his gaze flitted over the shiner and busted lip. "I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude," she said.

Loke's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and he asked. "What for?"

"If you hadn't helped me train these last few weeks, I would have gotten clobbered for sure," Cindy answered. She let out a humorless laugh. "I'm hardly a small woman, but Laxus is nearly twice my size and much more powerful. It's a small miracle I got away with as little damage as I did," she said with a gesture toward her face in general.

An awkward silence fell over the table, and Cindy turned her attention to her coffee and vegetable filled omelette. She took a couple careful sips of the still steaming coffee and picked at the food, feeling hungry but reluctant to eat in front of these strangers at the same time.

She heard the sound of someone shifting followed by a quiet yelp from Loke before he said, "Well, you're welcome, I suppose."

His tone sounded rather chagrined, and Tsubaki and Emmy were giving him mild glares when she looked up from her plate. Cindy wasn't sure what to make of their interaction or Loke's attitude this morning. Had she done something to upset him last night? He wasn't acting angry exactly, just very uncomfortable and more awkward than she'd ever seen the teen behaving before. His shields were up in addition to his natural ones, making him a complete blank to her admittedly dulled senses, but she could feel the girls' irritation and concern clear as day. She couldn't tell who it was directed toward, but she also didn't feel any sort of malice from them. Just what had happened?

Tsubaki's attention slid from Loke to Cindy after a moment, and her mood shifted from disappointed irritation to concerned curiosity, catching Cindy's attention in the process. "How are you feeling this morning?" Tsubaki asked.

Cindy stammered, caught off guard by the question, before she managed to answer. "About as well as you'd imagine," she said. "Sore and hung over." She took another sip of her coffee. "But Porlyusica was by earlier, and her potions'll have me back to normal soon enough, I'm told."

"Think you'll be up to working a job?" Loke asked.

"Possibly," Cindy answered with a nod. "Mira said you'd accepted one. What is it?"

"A town not far from Crocus is having problems with bandits," Loke answered. "I figured we could round them up, collect our reward, and then make the hike to Crocus and check the census records for families connected to celestial magic."

Cindy's heart leapt in her chest, and she smiled. "Well, I guess I'll find a way to be up to it," she said. "When do we leave?"

"I secured a sleeper car on the nine o'clock train east," Loke answered.


	31. Heading to Crocus

Exhausted after a day of hiding just how much pain she was in to keep Natsu from worrying, Cindy stowed her bags and went right to bed after she and Loke caught their train. Night owl that he seemed to be, she figured Loke would prefer the bottom bunk to make getting up and heading out to the dining car or whatever easier without needing a light. So she took the top bunk after checking to make sure the rail along the edge was secure.

As always, Loke was up and long gone by the time she woke the next morning. Of course, after looking at her watch, she realized she'd slept a couple hours longer than usual, which tended to happen the first few days after being injured if no one woke her. She decided to take advantage of her partner being away from their car to go ahead and get changed for the day, then she went looking for him, eventually finding him in the dining car looking haggard as he nursed a gigantic mug of coffee.

"Rough night?" she asked as she sat down across from him.

Loke's response was little more than a noncommittal grunt and a sigh. Frustrated by how laconic her friend and partner had become after her birthday party, and suspecting this change in his demeanor was her fault, Cindy reached out to him with her senses. His shields were up yet again, and all she could sense from him was fatigue tinged with something so faint she couldn't make it out. Sorrow? Worry? Guilt? She couldn't tell for sure.

Frowning at him, Cindy slid out of the booth and went to place her breakfast order. If the train arrived on schedule, they should reach their stop in just under an hour, so she needed to go ahead and eat if she wanted to do so before starting work.

She propped her chin on her hand and considered the teen sitting across from her once she'd returned to their booth. He'd looked the same as usual when she'd seen him with Emmy and Tsubaki yesterday, but he'd been much quieter. He'd been the same when they met at the train station last night, but this morning, his face looked drawn. Dark circles had formed beneath his eyes, and he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, a peculiarity for him.

"I know something's bugging you," she said when she couldn't stand the awkward silence anymore. "Why can't you talk to me about it? Did I do something at the party to offend you?"

Cindy saw the young man wince from behind his mug as he took a gulp of his coffee.

"It's nothing you did, Cynthia," he said, setting his mug back on the table with a sigh. "Something the other night reminded me of a rather rough time in my life, and I've been having nightmares since. That's all."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Cindy reached out and covered one clenched fist with her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You want to talk about it?" she offered. "Sometimes it helps. Working through what's bothering you while awake keeps your mind from searching for a solution in your sleep and all that."

Loke's head was bowed over his mug, hiding his expression from Cindy, but the fist under her hand relaxed. He turned the hand palm up, holding the offered hand in a loose grip. Loke stroked the back of her hand with his thumb a couple of times almost absently before he stopped himself and gave her hand a light squeeze in return. Sighing, Loke looked up to meet her eyes.

"I appreciate the offer," he said and gave her a small, bittersweet smile. "But I don't think it's something talking about will help."

* * *

Upon arriving in Forsythia, the two met with their client to get the rundown on the job. From all accounts, they were looking for a band of seven bandits. Some reports suggested at least a few of them were wizards, but others didn't see evidence of the group using magic. The attacks all happened within the same three mile stretch of road, all throughout the day and night, which was nice seeing as it meant they wouldn't have to wait for nightfall to get started.

Armed with this knowledge, Loke and Cynthia set out for the indicated road as soon as they left the client's office. They didn't even bother trying to book a room in one of the local inns.

At breakfast the day before, they'd decided to bring their camping gear for two reasons. The first was to disguise themselves as regular travelers making the trek between Forsythia and Crocus in lieu of an expensive train ticket. The second was like the first in that they planned to do just that. Crocus was an expensive town as a general rule, and they had no way of knowing how long it would take them to find the information they sought. So they planned to camp just outside the city instead of renting rooms for the duration of their stay.

Loke stayed alert during their mid-morning hike. He hoped the fact he only had half an ear tuned to the light conversation he was having with Cynthia wasn't obvious, but the nagging suspicion they'd find a larger group of bandits than described wouldn't leave him alone. So he kept his senses tuned to search out anything unusual as he tried to make it look like he was distracted by their conversation.

"If this range was prone to thick fogs, it'd be just like the Smokies," Cynthia said. She smiled as she gazed up at the canopy of thick, intertwined branches arching over the road. A breeze ruffled the broad leaves creating small gaps. Sunlight shimmered through them, giving an almost twinkling effect.

"Smokies?" Loke asked, risking a glance at the woman walking beside him as he scented the air.

Cynthia nodded. "A nickname of sorts for a section of a nearby mountain chain back home," she explained. "I grew up in a river valley just at the edge of its foothills, and we'd go visit the Smokies from time to time." Her eyes took on a far away look, and she smiled. "Lee and I rented a cabin and spent a week, just the two of us, up on one of 'em for our honeymoon."

"No sunshine and beaches?"

Chuckling, Cynthia shook her head. "Not our style," she said.

There was a subtle shift in Cynthia's body language and aura Loke wouldn't have caught if he hadn't spent the last couple of months working closely with her. She rambled on about renting horses and hiking trails to see waterfalls. But her eyes took on a sharp focus, and her body tensed. Scenting the air again, Loke caught faint traces of unfamiliar human scents surrounding them.

Meeting her eyes, Loke willed her to know he understood. He kept up the banter as they continued on down the trail, arguing the idea was to go somewhere different. Loke could hear them now, creeping closer, coiling for attack. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and he squashed the urge to swipe at it. He mentally growled at them to just attack already.

Ahead, at the crest of a hill, two hulking men ambled into the road from the cover of thick underbrush near the roadside. They blocked the path, standing with their thumbs tucked into their belts.

"Out traveling, are yah?" one of them yelled.

"Yes," Loke called back. "And you?"

"Oh no," the man said. An arrogant smirk split his expression, and he puffed up his chest. "You see, we own this road," he said. "We're collecting the toll for those who travel it."

"This is a toll road?" Cynthia asked. She blinked owlishly at the men ahead, tilting her head in a show of confusion, and sidling closer to Loke as if intimidated. "Why isn't there a sign at the start of it? Or a booth?"

"Budget cuts," said the second man, and the first chuckled.

"Ah, so what's the toll?" Loke asked. He heard the others closing in.

"Everything you've got," the first growled, and six more people emerged from the shadows to form a loose circle around Loke and Cynthia.

Loke glanced around at the bandits surrounding them, sizing them up. Other than the two blocking the road ahead, most were fairly close to average size, and all looked ready and eager to fight. To his right, he felt Cynthia move even closer before she latched onto his arm. She looked terrified, but he could feel the power welling up in her. A bolt of energy zinged up his arm from where she gripped it, and a new layer of shielding built itself around his mind with enough force to ache.

"You're not toll keepers," she accused, still playing the terrified traveler as she prepared for attack. "You're thieves!"

The bandits laughed before the first asked, "What gave us away?"

Cynthia dropped the simpering facade and released the attack she'd been preparing. Loke felt it buffeting the extra shielding she'd lent him as three of the bandits fell, and the remaining five staggered as they fought it.

"The job request that brought us here," she said, finally letting go of Loke's arm as the wave of magic dissipated.

Trusting Cynthia to take care of herself, Loke pounced on the closest bandits before they had a chance to recover from the powerful impulse graft. He had a pair knocked out cold with two quick strikes. Cynthia had taken out one of the big guys by the time he turned around, with a well aimed rock judging by the fist sized stone now laying in the road. She was fending off the last of the smaller bandits with her electric jolts and using her magic to throw small stones at him at high speed. That left the biggest guy with the loud mouth for him.

The ringleader put up a bit of a fight at least. Not much of one, but it served well enough for a warm up. He was aiming for the knockout blow when Cynthia stopped him with a shout.

"We need him subdued but conscious," she said as she worked binding the other bandits they'd knocked out.

Nodding, Loke shifted tactics. He aimed for spots that'd put enough pressure on nerves to deaden the man's limbs instead of render him unconscious. The lumbering bandit managed to dodge the first couple of strikes. But once the first landed, and his leg went numb, the fight was more or less over.

Cynthia tossed a couple lengths of rope to Loke as she went to secure the last of the bandits, excepting the ringleader, and he began restraining the larger man. Once Cynthia finished, she turned toward them and walked forward, confidence evident in her gait, and she sent Loke a look that spoke volumes. Catching on, he finished tying the man's hands and grabbed his upper arms, holding him still as Cynthia crouched down in front of them.

She grasped the ringleader's chin in one hand, turning his head to face her, and tightening her grip when he tried to break free of their hold. "Tell me where the others are," she demanded.

The man laughed. "Why don't you make me, sweetheart?" he growled.

Cynthia chuckled, and a condescending smirk twisted her expression. "That's cute," she said as she gave the man's cheek a tweak before standing back up. "It's a mile or so that way," she said, indicating the direction with a motion of her head.

The ringleader started cursing at Cynthia, and a quick blow to the head from Loke put a stop to it and laid him to sleep beside his comrades.

"So, how are we going to get these guys back into town?" Cynthia asked, casting an icy glare at the large man lying unconscious at her feet. "They're a bit much for two people to handle, and there are nine more sleeping back at their camp according to what I got from ol' neckbeard here."

Loke shrugged off his pack and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out the case he kept his communication lacrima in. "The client had one of these in his office," he said. "I'm going to call for him to come pick them up and meet us here, if you think you can make sure these guys stay out of it long enough."

Cynthia looked around at the bandits. "Shouldn't be a problem," she said. "They're not likely to fight an impulse graft to sleep if they're already out."

"So, we probably won't meet a lot of resistance from the last bunch then after that blast of yours," Loke muttered. "What was with that anyway?"

Cheeks going pink, Cynthia's body language turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. There was just a bunch of them, and I was getting tired grumblings from half of them. It was a last minute idea." Her eyes got wide, and she waved her hands in her rush to reassure him. "I never would have tried it if I wasn't able to reinforce your shields first."

"Yeah, that would have been rough," Loke chuckled. "Think you could have taken all five on your own?"

The look Cynthia gave him was baleful.

"You could be a bit gentler with it next time though."

"I'll take that under advisement," she answered with a bemused smile.

Things moved quickly after that. Loke called their client while Cynthia drug the bandits to one side of the road, reinforcing the sleep graft she'd placed earlier as she went. They left a makeshift note written in the dirt at the bandits' feet stating they were a gang of thieves awaiting pickup by the local law enforcement to warn passing travelers and alert the client's men if they arrived before they got back.

However, Cynthia's telepathic blast was farther reaching than either of them had imagined it could be. As she'd seen in the ringleader's thoughts, the last nine bandits were the "night shift," and as such, they were sleeping after a long night of shaking down travelers. With the impulse to sleep washing over them, all nine were deep asleep when they arrived at the camp, even the one left on guard duty.

Loke and Cynthia spent several minutes dragging the bandits to a large tree off to the side of the camp and securing them to its trunk. They did a quick sweep around the area and checked the snoozing bandits' pockets to make sure they didn't have anything to use to cut the ropes if one or more happened to wake up before the client arrived with his men.

Their client, the small town's mayor, arrived with a group of men from town and a large wagon several minutes after Cynthia and Loke made it back to the road. They offered to load the eight bandits they'd met while the other men retrieved the last nine from the camp. The mayor agreed, staying to "oversee" the prisoner transfer while the townsmen strode off into the forest.

An hour later, all seventeen bandits were crammed into the wagon, the hardiest of the bunch just beginning to stir with painful groans. Their client paid the agreed upon reward and left them with his thanks to continue their journey to Crocus as he and the handful of men he'd brought carted the gang who'd been plaguing their town to jail.

They traveled several more hours before deciding to make camp. Loke could just make out the sound of water tumbling over rocks to the right of the road, prompting him to make the suggestion as the sun began to sink toward the horizon. This far into the summer, nightfall wouldn't come until late, but who knew if they'd come across an area this close to water again before sunset?

He led Cynthia off the road toward the sound of running water, and they found a little clearing near the water's edge. They shared a look, shed their packs, and began setting up camp without a word.

A little over an hour later, the camp was set up. A fire crackled inside a ring of stones, and Loke found Cynthia scratching letters into the dirt surrounding their campsite when he returned from cleaning a rabbit they'd managed to snare.

"What are you doing?" he asked, stepping carefully over the words already placed in the ground.

"Placing a barrier spell," she answered as she kept working. "Levy and I might not have found what we were looking for in Dahlia, but we did stumble across this handy little spell in a book on barriers." She chuckled and shook her head. "The table of contents made it look like it might contain research on the barriers between worlds, and it did, but nothing like what I needed," she admitted with a shrug. "But it did have this bit of useful buried in the back."

"So it'll keep predators out of our camp?"

"Oh, more than that," Cynthia said. She paused in her writing and favored him with a grin. "Levy and I tested it out the night after we found it." Cynthia gestured toward the ground. "I only have another word or two left to activate it, and I'll show you."

Nodding, Loke put the rabbit onto the roasting spit as Cynthia returned to writing in the dirt. She scratched out another couple of words and closed the circle with a final thrust of her writing stick into the ground. The air rippled, and an unnatural hush fell over the camp. Gone were the calls of insects and bird song. Even the sound of the nearby creek was gone, and the wind was still.

Loke's eyes went wide. He strained his ears and gave the air a discrete sniff. It was like the world ended at the edge of the barrier. "What kind of barrier spell is this?" he asked.

Cynthia's proud expression faltered and fell into one that screamed uncertainty. "One that converts the space inside the barrier into a pocket dimension similar to the tiny ones Erza uses to hold her armors." Her eyes widened in response to the shock he imagined was written all over his face. "I guess that's not within the norm?" she asked, lowering herself onto the trunk of a fallen tree at the edge of their camp.

"Not even close!"

"Huh." The genuine flabbergasted tone and far away look in her eyes made it clear she hadn't known this before. "So that's why Levy was so excited to find it."

"You think!"

The tips of Cynthia's ears went red, and she shrugged again. "She struck me as someone who'd get excited over any new and interesting knowledge," she answered, tone going defensive. "And, I mean it is script magic, so kinda her field."

"Speaking of, how'd you learn it?" Loke asked.

"It's channeling magic into a writing implement while you use that to write down specific words," Cynthia deadpanned. "It's pretty easy if you have a half decent memory, and memorizing passages was a big part of earning my degree."

"That's it?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yeah," she said. "The hardest part of mastering script magic is memorizing all the spells and keeping them straight." She grinned and pulled her pack over, opening it to rummage inside. "I'm just using the one."

"You're a very weird wizard, you know that?" Loke asked with a shake of his head. "I don't know many others who would even try to learn a spell outside their field."

"Seems short sighted to me," Cynthia said with an offhanded shrug. She pulled a couple of apples out of the pack and tossed one to Loke.

Loke, who'd just finished putting the rabbit over the fire, caught the flying fruit as he stood out of the crouch he'd been in a moment before. Walking over to the fallen tree, he crunched into it before sitting down.

"Maybe it is," he conceded once he'd swallowed that first bite. Loke slumped forward and leaned his elbows on his knees. He took another bite and studied the fruit, turning it slowly and watching the light of the fire reflecting off its skin as he chewed and mulled over something that'd been plaguing him for a while. After a moment, he turned his head to grin at Cynthia.

"That's why I like your kind of weird," he said. "Your perspective is," he trailed off as he searched for the right word. Unique wasn't quite right. Surely most anyone so foreign to the idea of magic as it existed in Earthland and the Celestial Realm would come to similar conclusions. Different wasn't right either; others held similar ideals in times past. "Interesting."

Cynthia chuckled and smirked before giving him a mock bow. "I aim to please," she said with a flippant air. Straightening back up she said, "Better than some things I've been called."

"I'm serious though," Loke insisted. "People fall into ruts because it's the expected thing. But where you come from is so different, your ideas and way of looking at things make people think."

"Surely people here aren't so homogeneous," Cynthia scoffed. She considered Loke with a furrowed brow and a frown. "I know Fiore is a rather large country, compared to some, but cultures vary from town to town."

Loke shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, but that's been my experience."

"Well, I won't say it isn't," Cynthia said. She took a bite of her apple, looking thoughtful as she chewed.

"I've been wanting to ask you something actually," Loke said after several moments of silence spent with him adjusting their cooking dinner over the fire, and Cynthia finishing her apple. "We've worked a few jobs together now, and I don't know about you. But I think we make a good team." He glanced her way as he secured the spit where the other side of the meat would be closer to the flames to find her nodding. "What do you say we form an official team?"

"You'd want to go through the trouble knowing I'd leave as soon as I have the chance?"

Heat suffused the back of Loke's neck, and he rubbed at it, trying to make the feeling go away. "I know your time in Earthland is limited," he said. "But we're not just colleges and allies; we're friends. Aren't we?"

Cynthia nodded.

Loke lowered his arm back to rest his elbow on his knee again, and he fidgeted with the simple gold band he wore on his left index finger. "Given the fact communication once you return home will be unlikely, it makes sense to make the most of the time you're here."

"Well, when you put it that way."

Cynthia's voice trailed off, and Loke glanced her way without turning his head, afraid of what he'd find. Her expression was thoughtful but still unsure as she watched him fidget with his ring. He stopped and linked his hands together instead. Her face cleared, and she gave him a lopsided smile.

"It just makes sense," she finished.


End file.
